Native & adapted
Yellow bells
Tecoma stans var. angustataAlso known as Arizona yellow bells · Yellow elder · Tecoma
Fast, heat-loving native shrub with yellow trumpet flowers that can grow as an informal screen, dense hedge, or small multi-trunk tree.
Right plant, right place
Will Yellow bells grow at your Arizona property?
Use the Arizona narrow-leaf form for the strongest regional fit. Give it room to grow naturally along warm walls, habitat edges, and privacy screens.
Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.
Light
Sun exposure
Full sun, including reflected heat; flowering is strongest with abundant light.
Water
Irrigation
Low once established. Weekly deep watering during extreme summer heat can extend flowering and support dense growth.
Harvest
How to use it
Not considered edible; its long flowering season is valuable to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Choose the actual plant, not only the label
Cultivars & selections
Tecoma labels are often loose. Confirm whether a plant is the narrow-leaved Arizona native form, a tropical form, or a hybrid, because cold tolerance, size, flower color, and ecological value differ.
Arizona yellow bells
Tecoma stans var. angustataMature size6–12 ft tall × 6–10 ft wide
Best forNative habitat, heat, and informal screening
Narrow leaves, golden flowers, and stronger regional fit than tropical forms. It may freeze back during hard winters and regrow rapidly.
Orange Jubilee
Tecoma hybrid ‘Orange Jubilee’Mature size8–12 ft tall × 8–10 ft wide
Best forLong-season orange flowers and a large screen
Fast hybrid ornamental rather than Sonoran native. It flowers heavily with summer irrigation and needs enough room to avoid constant shearing.
Bells of Fire
Tecoma hybrid ‘Bells of Fire’Mature size4–6 ft tall × 4–6 ft wide
Best forCompact spaces and orange-red flowers
A smaller selection for courtyards and foreground masses where full-sized Tecoma would overwhelm the space.
Sparky
Tecoma hybrid ‘Sparky’Mature size5–8 ft tall × 5–8 ft wide
Best forYellow-and-maroon flowers and compact screening
An Arizona-selected hybrid with distinctive two-tone flowers; treat it as an ornamental cultivar rather than the native narrow-leaf form.
Planting & stewardship
How to help Yellow bells thrive
- 1
Select the Arizona native form rather than relying only on an ornamental hybrid name.
- 2
Water deeply through establishment, then reduce frequency while monitoring flowering and leaf stress.
- 3
Prune selectively after cold damage or to preserve a multi-trunk form; avoid constant shearing.
- 4
Leave enough open flowering growth for pollinators and hummingbirds to reach the blooms.