Yellow bells

Tecoma stans

Bignoniaceae

Description

Yellow bells is a small tree or shrub that can grow up to 24 feet tall. Young branches are green and slender while older ones range from brown to gray in color and are ridged.

Its leaves are 4 to 8 inches long, opposite, and pinnately compounded. Each leaf is composed of 5 to 13 leaflets attached at the base. The leaflets taper to a point and are sharply serrated along the edges. The top of the leaflets are olive green and hairless while the bottoms are paler and slightly hairy or hairless.

The flower is bright yellow and funnel like. Each flower is comprised of 5 lobes, 4 stamens, and has faint streaks of orange in the throat. Yellow bell's fruit is a 4 to 6 inch long and .25 inch wide capsule. It is flat and straight with each capsule containing flat, winged seeds.