Esperanza ‘Gold Star’

Tecoma stans ‘Gold Star’

Characteristics

Culture

Esperanza ‘Gold Star’ is a spectacular heat–tolerant Texas native with striking masses of golden yellow, trumpet–shaped flowers. Wonderful in containers to accent entry and patio, also in mass plantings. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-11 where it is best grown in fertile, organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. In colder regions, grow plants in pots/containers that are overwintered indoors in bright sunny rooms as houseplants. Deadhead flowers to prolong bloom. Prune as needed after flowering. This evergreen shrub produces yellow, bell-shaped flowers from spring through frost. It practically laughs at the full-sun heat in July and August. The striking flowers are complemented by dark green, glossy foliage. Butterflies and hummingbirds relish the ‘Yellow Bells’ nectar.  

Noteworthy Characteristics

The cultivar ‘Gold Star’ was selected by Texas plant breeder Greg Grant from a private garden in San Antonio, Texas. It blooms much earlier than the standard Esperanza and appears to be intermediate in characteristics between Tecoma stans stans, (a more tropical variety) and Tecoma stans angustata of West Texas. In 1999 ‘Gold Star’ became one of the Texas Superstar plants, with a top rating for being a spectacular heat-tolerant Texas native with striking masses of golden yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers and dark green, glossy divided leaves. The Texas Superstar program rated it as highly pest resistant, healthy and suitable for mass plantings or container use. This plant is capable of growing in many soil ranges, from the slightly acidic to alkaline.

Problems

Highly pest resistant.

Garden Uses

Grow in containers as patio plants that are overwintered indoors. In southern Florida and California, this may be planted as a specimen or massed in gardens and shrub borders or grown in containers.