Scientific: Handroanthus impetiginosus (formerly Tabebuia impetiginosa)
Common: pink trumpet tree, pink lapacho, pau d'arco
Family: Bignoniaceae
Origin: Northern Mexico south into northern Argentina.
Pronounciation: Han-dro-AN-thus im-pe-ti-gi-NO-sus
Hardiness zones
Sunset 12-14
USDA 9-11
Landscape Use: Mesic landscape settings with much surrounding greenery, park and green space tree, floral and textural accent tree, shade tree. Pink trumpet tree can be used as a parking lot tree in coastal southern California, but not in Phoenix.
Form & Character: Naturally rounded, upright, somewhat regular and symmetrical in form, festive, warm and inviting, oasis and tropical effect.
Growth Habit: In Phoenix, pink trumpet tree is briefly deciduous in late winter and early spring. As a woody, perennial broadleaf tree, it is of slow vigor to 35-feet tall with an equal spread. The wood is quite dense and hard and has a yellowish hue.
Foliage/Texture: Opposite, palmately compound, generally 5 leaflets, bright green, to 3-inches long; medium coarse texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Terminal clusters of spectacular pink to magenta tubular flowers when leafless, individual flowers to 2-inches long; fruits are a long narrow pod to 10-inches long, green, maturing to dark brown.
Seasonal Color: A brilliant display of floral color during the spring.
Temperature: Damaged below 28oF and by summer heat in excess of 110oF.
Light: Full sun required, no shade or intense western exposures.
Soil: Tolerant, so long as well drained.
Watering: In Phoenix, pink trumpet trees require reqular supplemental waterings especially during summer months; they are generally drought intolerant. However, no supplemental during winter is required.
Pruning: Because pink trumpet tree has a slow growth rate and is subject to trunk sunscald in Phoenix, avoid agressive crown raising practices when young. Also, avoid the urge to regularly crown thin this tree as is increasingly the latest rage of bad arboricultural practices coming to Arizona from California. In sum, less is always more when talking about pruning pink trumpet trees in Phoenix.
Propagation: Seed, softwood cuttings.
Disease and Pests: None
Additional comments: This is a great flowering accent plant for mesic gardens, turf-dominated parks and lush greespaces in Phoenix's urban core. The flowers attract hummingbirds. On the fringe of the city, pink trumpet tree might experience frost or freeze damage. It is easy to care for if planted in the right space with ample room to slowly grow. Pink trumpet tree is a major timber tree in the Amazon basin and has a long history of human use.
Ethnobotanical note: The inner bark of pink trumpet tree is used in traditional medicinal practices.
