The end of winter in Swan City is always marked by the blooming of pink and yellow trumpet trees, but how much do you know about these flowering flora? These tips will have you saying Tabe-booyah.
Most trumpet trees are scientifically known as Tabebuia (pronounced ta-buh-boo-yuh), but some were reclassified as Handroanthus. Their more common moniker comes from the trumpet shape of their pink, purple, or yellow flowers. They can reach up to 30-40 ft in height and 25 ft in spread, so you can’t miss them when they start blossoming in late winter, just before their leaves grow back in the spring.
Forget Groundhog Day — it’s the sight of a blooming trumpet tree that means spring weather is on the way in Lakeland.
Photo by @alexander.mclendon
Trumpet trees are native to Central + South America, and they’re Florida-friendly plants. They can survive winters in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 9b-12, which Lakeland falls into. If you’re looking to add one to your garden, follow these rules of (green) thumb:
- Look to the sun and plant them in a bright spot at least 15 ft away from your home and 10-12 ft apart from each other.
- Put down those clippers — there’s no branch trimming necessary.
- Get ready to work. Several of our followers pointed out the upkeep of cleaning fallen seed pods from your yard.
To get a trumpet tree of your own, you can buy seeds online or sign up for restock alerts at Sow Exotic in Winter Haven.
