Grow esperanza in full sun and soil that drains. Let the soil dry between waterings once the roots are in. Esperanza is Tecoma. Shops also say yellow bells.
Give it full sun, soil that drains, and let the soil dry between waterings
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, about 6 hours. Light afternoon shade is tolerated, with fewer flowers | Do not site it in deep shade that stretches the stems and cuts bloom |
| Soil | Soil that drains — sand, loam, rock, or limestone | Do not plant it in a hole that stays soggy after rain |
| Water | Water a new shrub through the first heat, then let the soil dry between waterings | Do not keep the roots wet because the tag says it takes dry weather |
| Drought | Dry spells once the roots are in, with an extra soak in a long heat wave if you want more flowers | Do not water on a weekly calendar after the shrub is set if the soil is still moist |
| Deer | Usually left alone once the shrub is leafy | Do not count on that in a dry spring, when deer may browse the first new stems |
| Kind | Yellow bells for yellow trumpets; flaming bells for orange trumpets and a taller screen | Do not buy it as a climbing trumpet vine |
Esperanza wants full sun and a hole that drains. Water a new plant through the first heat so the roots take, then let the soil dry between waterings. Soggy soil around the roots is the primary cause of root rot. [1] In a long hot spell, a deep soak about once a week helps the shrub keep blooming. [2] yellow bells is the yellow-flowered shrub, often 3 to 6 feet where a freeze cuts it back, and much taller where frost is rare. flaming bells is the orange-flowered shrub, often 10 to 15 feet, used as a screen. Both take the same sun and drain. [3]
- Choose full sun, about 6 hours. Light afternoon shade is tolerated, but the stems stretch and the flowers thin.
- Set it in sand, loam, rock, or limestone that still drains. Skip a low spot that stays wet after rain.
- Water a new shrub through the first heat, then let the soil dry between waterings. In a long heat wave, a weekly soak helps it keep blooming.
Set a shrub in the ground after frost on Planting Esperanza. After a freeze, wait and cut dead wood on Pruning Esperanza. Start another plant from a green stem on How to Propagate Esperanza.
Does esperanza need full sun?
Yes. Give it about 6 hours. Light afternoon shade is tolerated, but the stems stretch and the flowers thin.
How often should I water esperanza?
Water a new shrub through the first heat, then let the soil dry between waterings. In a long heat wave, a weekly soak helps it keep blooming. A soggy hole still rots the roots.
Yellow bells or orange?
Buy yellow bells for yellow trumpets. Buy flaming bells for orange trumpets and a taller screen. Both want sun and drain.
Grow it in a pot that drains
Esperanza can live in a patio pot if the pot is at least 12 inches across and has a drainage hole. Keep it in full sun outdoors, water when the mix is dry, and empty the saucer. A large shrub is happier in the ground. [4]
- Choose a pot at least 12 inches across with a drainage hole. Do not sit it in a saucer of standing water.
- Fill with a mix that drains. Garden soil in a pot stays wet too long around the roots.
- Keep the pot in full sun outdoors. Water when the mix is dry, then let it dry again.
- Before a freeze, move the pot into a bright, cool place and keep the mix just barely moist. Plant it in the ground after frost if the shrub outgrows the pot.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, in a pot at least 12 inches across with a drainage hole. Keep it in full sun outdoors, and empty the saucer. Bring the pot in before a freeze.
Not a trumpet vine — and not cape honeysuckle or angel's trumpet
A shop tag that says trumpet bush is often this upright shrub with yellow or orange clusters. Trumpet vine is Campsis, a climbing plant with aerial roots that can run into siding — see How to Grow Trumpet Vine. Cape honeysuckle is Tecomaria, a scrambling shrub you train on a trellis, not this yellow-bells plant. Angel's trumpet is Brugmansia, with large hanging flowers — see How to Grow Angel's Trumpet.
Is this trumpet vine?
No. Trumpet vine is Campsis, a climber with aerial roots. Esperanza is an upright shrub with yellow or orange trumpets.
Give esperanza full sun and soil that drains, water a new shrub through the first heat, then let the soil dry between waterings.
FAQ
Is Gold Star a different plant?
Gold Star is a yellow-bells selection shops sell for earlier bloom. We list yellow bells and flaming bells. Read the Latin on the tag.
Is orange jubilee a different species?
Shops often print Orange Jubilee on orange esperanza. In this catalog that is flaming bells, Tecoma fulva. It is not cape honeysuckle.
Is esperanza a tree?
It is a shrub that can become a small tree where frost is rare. After a freeze it often comes back as a shorter clump. It is not a climbing trumpet vine.
Why are the leaves rolled?
A moth caterpillar sometimes ties the leaves. Cut the rolled tips. Do not spray as the first move.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tecoma-stans/ - [2] Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Travis County -
https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/2023/06/13/texas-superstar-gold-star-esperanza/ - [3] North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tecoma-fulva-subsp-guarume/ - [4] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TEST
This note is part of Tecoma Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors