Tecoma stans ‘Yellow Elder’

The Esperanza Plant is as Versatile as it is Beautiful The Tecoma Stans, or Yellow Elder Esperanza, is an amazingly flexible option. Looking for a tree? It can be a tree. Looking for a shade bush or a trellis? It can do that, too. If you’re looking to bring it indoors, simply trim it down into a small bush. You’ll fall in love with the Yellow Elder’s brilliant yellow flowers that keep on coming, especially if you live in warmer climates. Its lovely profile can soften a more formal landscape, and blends beautifully with various styles of architecture. Fast growing, its branches can appear long and droopy, and will do best when protected from strong winds. Plant the Yellow Elder with plenty of room on each side, so it won’t overtake other plants or obstruct the flow of your yard. It works in different kinds of sun exposure, but more sunshine brings more flowers. Once established, the Yellow Elder can be drought tolerant. Make sure to let the soil dry out between watering’s.  Caring for your Esperanza Plant While the attractive ornamental shrub is not too hard to grow, you should still take a few measures to ensure healthy growth.  Light Tecoma stans thrive best when you provide it with at least 6 hours of sunlight once every 24 hours. So, you will need to place your shrub in a place where it gets enough light to bloom flowers. If it only gets partial shade, it might get leggy. Meanwhile, too much shade will cause problems when blooming, so full sunlight is what your Esperanza plant needs.  Water If your area gets adequate precipitation, you don’t have to worry about watering your Yellow Elder plant. It flourishes well in normal rainfall conditions, but you may need to be careful in consistently dry and hot weather conditions. Even so, the shrub does not prefer excess watering as it can lead to diseases such as mildew or rot.  Soil When it comes to soil, the Esperanza plant only looks for well-draining quality. It can grow well in alkaline or acidic soils, so choose any kind of soil from clay, loam, or sand. Just make sure the soil drains well by adding compost if needed.  Fertilizer According to the basics, you do not need to fertilize a Tecoma Stans plant as it can grow and bloom very well without feed. However, you can use high-quality granular fertilizer thrice a year if your plant shows signs of unhealthiness.  Common Pests and Diseases As we have already mentioned, the Yellow Elder is not much of a high-maintenance plant. It is also quite resilient to pests and diseases compared to other plants. While your shrub will rarely counteract pests, be careful about scales and chewing insects.  Pruning You don’t need to excessively prune the Esperanza plant, but you might still want to trim it once a year if it grows too big for you to handle. Not to mention, it will strengthen the trunk and encourage healthier growth. Make sure you prune your shrub during the late winter seasons and cut back all the way down to avoid winter frost damage. You might want to cover the Yellow Elder roots with mulch after you prune them.  Propagation You can propagate Tecoma Stans from both seeds as well as cuttings.  You will need to dry up the seeds for seed propagation. Fill up a tray or pot with vermiculite or peat moss and add water to keep it moist but not soggy. Remember to keep it out of direct sunlight. Use stem cuttings that are about 3 to 4 inches long to propagate Yellow Elder in spring or summer. Place these in a pot filled with peat moss or perlite and cover it with a plastic bag.  Potting/Repotting Potting and repotting of the Esperanza plant are extremely easy. Use your regular soil mixture and add in your potting sources such as seeds or cuttings. Transfer the plant in bigger containers when it starts outgrowing its current one. You can transplant your shrub in your garden once it is 1 ft tall.