TABEBUIA — OUR BEST YARD TREES 
The first six pages are devoted to what I regard as the outstanding ornamental 
small trees for Florida gardens, providing beauty and color from January to May. They 
offer red, pink, white, yellow and purple flowers in utmost profusion. 
Credit Instituto de Botanico, Sao Paulo 
TABEBUIA IPE 
*IPE ROSEO (Tabebuia ipe). This 
handsome species from Brazil is an out- 
standing new introduction through the 
courtesy of Dr. F. C. Hoehne, former 
director of the Instituto de Botanico at 
Sao Paulo. He writes: “The trees should 
bloom in about three years from seed, 
when not more than 30-40 cm. in height. 
After that they will bloom every year until 
they reach the age of 40-50 years. When 
well pruned they will form a. straight 
trunk and a nicely shaped foliage area, 
but if they are neglected they will spread 
out a great deal, making ideal trees for 
parks where the soil is relatively moist. 
The flowers are usually purple or rose- 
purple.” Dr. Hoehne emphasized that he 
selected the seed “from a plant with quite 
dark flowers.” Record says of Tabebuia 
ipe: “The flowers are borne in profusion 
just before the new leaves appear, making 
the trees a resplendent feature of the 
landscape. The trees occur gregariously on 
steep rocky hillsides.” 
* MEXICAN TRUMPET (T. chrysan- 
tha). “The showiest flowering tree in 
Costa Rica,” wrote Austin Smith of this 
medium-sized Central American species. 
It has large, fragrant, deep golden yellow 
trumpet flowers in great pyramidal heads, 
blooming from December to March in its 
native land. “Brilliant blossoms when de- 
void of leaves,” says Standley. Gentry 
wrote: “A colony or a single tree can be 
seen for miles, for it is like a great torch 
set burning with a clear yellow flame in 
the wilderness. Under the brilliant yellow 
canopy the sunlight is transfused to a new 
quality, and objects thereunder take on 
an ethereal yellow glow.” Whee! It must 
be some tree to inspire that burst! Which 
reminds me that 15 years ago I introduced 
another tree under the name T. chrysantha 
which in Salvador is called Cortez Negro; 
it has royal purple flowers and is seen oc- 
casionally in South Florida. 
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SILVER TRUMPETTREE 
*SILVER TRUMPETTREE (T. ar- 
gentea). Best known and most widely 
planted in Florida is this 30-foot Para- 
guayan “tree of gold” whose spectacular 
yellow blossoms against a blue sky in 
March are gorgeous. Blooming sometimes 
with the silver-gray-green leaves, some- 
times without, the Silver Trumpet needs 
staking when small because of a vine-y 
habit. It always retains a gnarled, crooked 
trunk and is most picturesque. Although 
not yet grown extensively in north Florida, 
most of the Tabebuia trees are hardy at 
Orlando. 
