A Detailed Guide to Propagating Golden Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia chrysantha) from Seed
Golden trumpet tree can be propagated by seed, cuttings or air layering, but since its seeds are relatively easy to obtain, seed propagation is most commonly used. Sowing golden trumpet tree in spring and autumn generally gives a higher survival rate. Here is a look at the specific method.
Golden Trumpet Tree
The fruit of the golden trumpet tree tends to split open on the tree once ripe, and the seeds scatter. When propagating from seed, the seeds must be collected promptly after the capsule ripens but before it splits. Pay attention to drainage when sowing, and raise the seedbed slightly. Because the seeds are quite fine and light, the seedbed must use fine, loose garden soil or a peat-based medium, with the soil slightly acidic or neutral. After sowing, cover lightly with fine soil. Keep it moist, and germination occurs in about 10 d. After the seeds germinate, step up management and apply dilute liquid fertilizer; once 2-3 true leaves have grown (1 month after germination), move the seedlings into nutrient bags for growing on. Immediately after bagging, shade the nutrient bags with a 60% shade net for 15 d. Then remove the shade net and grow them in full sun; after about 2 months of cultivation, when the seedlings reach 30 cm tall, they can be planted out in the field.
Golden Trumpet Tree Propagation Methods and Cultivation Techniques
The golden trumpet tree, also known as yellow trumpet tree, Brazilian trumpet tree, ipê tree and so on, is a deciduous plant of the genus Tabebuia in the family Bignoniaceae. It is often used as an excellent street tree and can also be planted in courtyards, school grounds, residential areas and similar sites. Its flowers are a bright, brilliant gold, making it suitable for ornamental planting along roadsides and watersides in parks and green spaces. Let us take a look at the cultivation techniques for the golden trumpet tree.
Growth Habits of the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree is the national flower of Brazil and is native to Mexico, Central America, South America and other places. It likes high temperatures, with an optimum growing temperature of 20-30°C. In winter it needs a warm, sheltered spot to overwinter. In the northern part of South China, winters are cold and also rainy and humid, so attention must be paid to cold damage. The best growing medium is a sandy loam rich in organic matter. Drainage and sunlight must be good.
Propagation Methods for the Golden Trumpet Tree
In China, the golden trumpet tree is only suitable for cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings or air layering, but seed is the main method, with spring and autumn being the suitable seasons. The best growing medium is soil rich in organic matter or sandy soil. It likes high temperatures, with an optimum growing temperature of 23-30°C.
Cultivation Techniques for the Golden Trumpet Tree
1. Temperature and environment: The golden trumpet tree grows best at 23-30°C and is not cold tolerant. It also requires strong light during the seedling stage; especially when sowing and raising seedlings in a greenhouse, insufficient light and ventilation very easily cause the young seedlings to grow weakly and to develop damping-off disease. Therefore, after the seeds germinate and the true leaves unfold, make sure the shading rate of the growing environment does not exceed 50%, while maintaining sufficient ventilation.
2. Soil and fertilization: For growing large seedlings of the golden trumpet tree, the nursery site should be chosen where the soil is loose and fertile and where irrigation and drainage are good. Do the planning well and prepare the irrigation and drainage ditches properly. Plant about 3,000 plants per mu. At planting, place 250 g of compound fertilizer or 1 kg of organic fertilizer in each hole as a base fertilizer; the base fertilizer should be thoroughly mixed with the soil before the seedling is planted. When planting, remove the seedling bag, plant firmly and press down the soil.
3. Staking and tying the plant: The golden trumpet tree grows quickly in the seedling stage, and its trunk is soft, so it easily lodges and readily produces shoots, and the natural plant shape is often poor. To obtain an upright, straight plant form, after planting, once the seedling is 30-50 cm tall, set a support bamboo about 2 m tall beside the seedling to guide the plant to grow upright, and tie it once each time the seedling grows another 50 cm.
4. Pruning and shaping: During the growing period, prune and shape the golden trumpet tree regularly, cutting away the low, branching side shoots. After leaf fall in winter, carry out a uniform pruning and shaping, cutting away diseased branches, dead branches and the occasional side branches that arise from low positions, so as to keep the trunk growing straight. When the trunk has grown to 1.8-2 m tall, keep the branches at the top to form the crown. After 3-4 years of field cultivation, when the plant is over 3 m tall and 4-6 cm in diameter, it can leave the nursery for landscaping.
5. Pest and disease control: The golden trumpet tree is often attacked by the coffee borer (coffee wrinkled-breast longhorn beetle). Conduct a general survey of cashew trees 3 times a year; when an infested tree is found, immediately use a sharp knife to cut open the bark of the infested tree and remove the longhorn beetle larvae from inside. After the wound dries, mound soil around it to promote adventitious root growth, helping the plant recover its vigor. When infestation is found, a syringe can be used to inject pesticide into the tunnel to kill the larvae.
Golden Trumpet Tree Tabebuia chrysantha Golden Trumpet Tree Illustrated Guide: How to Grow Golden Trumpet Tree / How to Propagate Golden Trumpet Tree
Golden Trumpet Tree ProfileGolden Trumpet Tree Tabebuia chrysantha
How to Grow the Golden Trumpet Tree and Points to Note: An Introduction to the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree is a tree that changes its appearance with the four seasons. In spring the branches are sparse in leaf, and around Qingming it bears beautiful yellow flowers; in summer it grows leaves and forms seed pods; in autumn the branches and leaves are lush, presenting a scene of rich green; in winter the branches are bare and the leaves have fallen, showing a desolate beauty. This is the distinctive character the golden trumpet tree displays in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The golden trumpet tree can reach 8 m in height. It has palmately compound leaves with 5-7 leaflets, lanceolate to oblong, with a blunt tip, entire margins and thick papery texture. It flowers from spring to summer, with racemes or panicles borne terminally; the corolla is funnel-shaped, yellow, and the flower color is clear, elegant and refined.
Aliases: golden trumpet tree, silver-scaled trumpet tree, Brazilian trumpet tree, ipê tree
Distribution: native to Brazil, Mexico and other places.
Morphological Characteristics of the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree is about 4-6 m tall. The trunk is upright and the crown is rounded and umbrella-shaped. The leaves are palmately compound with 4-5 leaflets, obovate, papery with sparse serrations; the leaf color ranges from yellow-green to dark green, and the whole leaf is covered with fine brown down. It is deciduous in winter. It flowers in spring, around March to April; the corolla is funnel-shaped, also like a wind chime, with wrinkled, curved petal edges and a bright yellow color. In flowering season there are many flowers and few leaves, which is quite beautiful. The fruit is a follicle, splitting downward, with much down to help disperse the seeds. The flowering period lasts only about ten days. The fruit is a follicle; when it splits, the pods mostly curl back repeatedly and open downward, and the seeds bear thin wings, with much down to help disperse the seeds.
The tree can reach 8 m in height. It has palmately compound leaves with 5-7 leaflets, lanceolate to oblong, with a blunt tip, entire margins and thick papery texture. It flowers from spring to summer, with racemes or panicles borne terminally; the corolla is funnel-shaped, yellow, and the flower color is clear, elegant and refined.
(1) A deciduous tree, about 10-15 m tall. The trunk is upright and the crown is rounded and umbrella-shaped.
(2) Leaves: palmately compound, with 4-5 leaflets, obovate, papery with sparse serrations; the leaf color ranges from yellow-green to dark green, and the whole leaf is covered with fine brown down. It is deciduous in winter.
(3) Flowers: blooms in March and April of the following year; the corolla is funnel-shaped with five lobes, like a wind chime, with wrinkled, curved petal edges. When in bloom, clusters of golden yellow are strikingly lovely, as if telling people that spring has come, hence the name "wind chime heralding spring".
(4) Fruit: a follicle; when it splits, the pods mostly curl back repeatedly and open downward, and the seeds bear thin wings.
Ecological Habits of the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree likes high temperatures, with an optimum growing temperature of 20-30°C, and in winter it needs a warm, sheltered spot to overwinter.
In the northern part of South China, winters are cold and also rainy and humid, so attention must be paid to cold damage. The best growing medium is a sandy loam rich in organic matter.
The golden trumpet tree needs good drainage and sunlight.
Cultivation Techniques for the Golden Trumpet Tree: Temperature and Environment
The golden trumpet tree grows best at 23-30°C and is not cold tolerant; in China it is only suitable for cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions.
It also requires strong light during the seedling stage; especially when sowing and raising seedlings in a greenhouse, insufficient light and ventilation very easily cause the young seedlings to grow weakly and to develop damping-off disease. Therefore, after the seeds germinate and the true leaves unfold, make sure the shading rate of the growing environment does not exceed 50%, while maintaining sufficient ventilation.
Soil and Fertilization
For growing large seedlings of the golden trumpet tree, the nursery site should be chosen where the soil is loose and fertile and where irrigation and drainage are good. Do the planning well and prepare the irrigation and drainage ditches properly. Plant about 3,000 plants per mu. At planting, place 250 g of compound fertilizer or 1 kg of organic fertilizer in each hole as a base fertilizer; the base fertilizer should be thoroughly mixed with the soil before the seedling is planted. When planting, remove the seedling bag, plant firmly and press down the soil.
Plant Control
The golden trumpet tree grows quickly in the seedling stage, and its trunk is soft, so it easily lodges and readily produces shoots, and the natural plant shape is often poor. To obtain an upright, straight plant form, after planting, once the seedling is 30-50 cm tall, set a support bamboo about 2 m tall beside the seedling to guide the plant to grow upright, and tie it once each time the seedling grows another 50 cm.
During the growing period, prune and shape the tree regularly, cutting away the low, branching side shoots. After leaf fall in winter, carry out a uniform pruning and shaping, cutting away diseased branches, dead branches and the occasional side branches that arise from low positions, so as to keep the trunk growing straight. Because the bark of the golden trumpet tree is rather thin, it is easily rubbed and damaged by the supporting bamboo poles, and after damage it readily forms relatively large wounds that affect its appearance. Therefore, pad the contact area between the trunk and the supporting bamboo with soft cloth to prevent the bark from being damaged.
When the trunk has grown to 1.8-2 m tall, keep the branches at the top to form the crown. After 3-4 years of field cultivation, when the plant is over 3 m tall and 4-6 cm in diameter, it can leave the nursery for landscaping.
Cultivation
A suitable spacing is 2.5 m x 2.5 m. Dig holes at least 50 cm x 50 cm x 40 cm. Apply about 10 jin of fertilizer, generally a base fertilizer mixed from 75% livestock and poultry manure, 18% phosphate fertilizer, 7% potassium fertilizer and a trace of zinc sulfate (to promote tillering and branching and make the crown full). For topdressing, apply frequently and lightly, once every two months; apply urea the first time, and compound fertilizer thereafter. The branches of the golden trumpet tree are soft, so be sure to set up a pole to keep it straight.
Propagation Methods for the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree can be propagated by seed, cuttings or air layering, but seed is the main method, with spring and autumn being the suitable seasons.
The main propagation technique for the golden trumpet tree is seed propagation, though cuttings or air layering can also be used; seed is the main method, with spring and autumn being the suitable seasons. The seed germination temperature is 24-28°C. Because the fruit of the golden trumpet tree splits open naturally once ripe, and the seeds easily drift away with the wind, the seeds should be shaken out promptly when the fruit is ripe but not yet split.
The seeds are thin and light, so it is best to sow them as soon as they are collected. When sowing, a plastic basin can be used as a seedling tray, with fine soil as the sowing medium. The method is to first place 3 cm of sterilized peat soil in the seedling tray, spread the seeds evenly on the surface of the peat soil, then cover with fine sand until the seeds are no longer visible. After sowing, water thoroughly. The best growing medium is soil rich in organic matter or sandy soil. It likes high temperatures, with an optimum growing temperature of 23-30°C.
Place the golden trumpet tree in a shade house to keep it warm. Pay attention to maintaining an appropriate temperature and to watering management, keeping the peat soil moist. Germination begins about 10 days after sowing. Once the seedlings have grown 2 pairs of true leaves, they can be transplanted into seedling bags 20-15 cm in diameter for growing on. During management, move the seedling bags once every 3 months to cut off the roots that have grown into the soil. One-year-old seedlings can reach 40-50 cm tall, and the following spring they can be transplanted into the field to grow on into large seedlings.
Pest and Disease Control for the Golden Trumpet Tree
The main pest of the golden trumpet tree is the coffee wrinkled-breast longhorn beetle
Insecta, Coleoptera, Cerambycidae
[Pest name] coffee wrinkled-breast longhorn beetle
[Order] Coleoptera
[Family] Cerambycidae
[Damage symptoms] The larvae damage the base of the main trunk and the main root of cashew trees, boring and feeding under the bark. In the early stage this weakens the tree, affecting growth and yield, and in the later stage it can cause the plant to die.
[Control methods]
(1) Agricultural control. Conduct a general survey of cashew trees 3 times a year. When an infested tree is found, immediately use a sharp knife to cut open the bark of the infested tree and remove the longhorn beetle larvae from inside. After the wound dries, mound soil around it to promote adventitious root growth, helping the plant recover its vigor.
(2) Chemical control. When infestation is found, a syringe can be used to inject pesticide into the tunnel to kill the larvae.
Variety Classification of the Golden Trumpet Tree
Golden trumpet tree, Latin name Tabebuia chrysantha. Plant kingdom;
Angiosperms;
Dicotyledons;
Tubiflorae;
Bignoniaceae;
Tabebuia;
Tabebuia chrysantha.
Distribution Range of the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree is the national flower of Brazil and is native to Mexico, Central America and South America.
Uses and Purposes of the Golden Trumpet Tree
Landscaping and Ornamental Use
The golden trumpet tree is an excellent street tree and can also be planted in courtyards, school grounds, residential areas and similar sites. Its flowers are a bright, brilliant gold, making it suitable for ornamental planting along roadsides and watersides in parks and green spaces.
Landscape Uses of the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree is golden in spring, grows leaves and forms pods in summer, has lush branches and leaves in autumn, and shows desolate beauty with fallen leaves in winter. It is an excellent landscape tree species that changes its appearance with the four seasons. The biological and ecological characteristics of the golden trumpet tree establish its ornamental value in the garden. People have already noticed its great ornamental and application potential and use it extensively in landscaping.
National Flower and City Flower of the Golden Trumpet Tree
The golden trumpet tree is the national flower of Brazil.
Flower Language of the Golden Trumpet Tree
Flower language of the golden trumpet tree: gratitude
The golden trumpet tree is a tree that changes its appearance with the four seasons. In spring the branches are sparse in leaf, and around Qingming it bears beautiful yellow flowers; in summer it grows leaves and forms seed pods; in autumn the branches and leaves are lush, presenting a scene of rich green; in winter the branches are bare and the leaves have fallen, showing a desolate beauty. This is the distinctive character the golden trumpet tree displays in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Golden Trumpet Tree Pictures