Are you looking for an evergreen hardy flowering bush for your yard? Let us introduce you to the Orange Jubilee plant. This is a perennial flowering shrub that can grow and expand up to 15 feet. The dark green pointed leaves grow beautiful orange flowers in the season from March to October.
These flowers look like small bells or small trumpets making the plant commonly known as the Orange Jubilee Bells. This Argentinean native plant with mesmerizing orange flowers against shiny green leaves looks nothing lesser than an eye candy.
Mark my words! You are surely going to love this orangey bush around. Interesting? You don’t need any green thumb to grow this low-maintenance bush. It easily dwells with little water at some sunny spot on your lawn. Let us learn more about the Tecoma alata, currently known as the Tecoma stans ‘Orange Jubilee’ Plant.
Orange Jubilee Classification
Family: Bignoniaceae
Genus: Tecoma
The taxonomic status of this plant is slightly confusing. You may find different names for a similar plant. According to a famous school of thought, this plant is the former T.alata with a modern name.
Alternatively, another popular opinion considers it as a hybrid between T.stans and the T.alata plants.
Genus Tecoma:
Tecoma is a genus of about 14 shrubs. The name is derived from the word Nahuatl word ‘tecomaxochitl’ referring to the tubular flowers. About 12 of these small-sized trees or shrubs belonging to America. Whereas, the other two are natives of Africa. The bushy appearance of these plants with flowers looking like trumpets makes these plants commonly known as the ‘trumpet bush’.
Other Names of the Plant
- Tecoma Orange Jubilee.
- Tecoma x ‘Burnout’.
Orange Jubilee Plant Features
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Size
This is a medium to large-sized bush, suitable to fill large and open spaces. The height and spread of the plant depend upon the space available. In the availability of place, the plant can get as tall as 10 to 15 feet.
Leaves
The leaves are green, shiny, and pinnately compound. Thin woody stem-like branches hold the leave growing in an alternate pattern.
Flowers
Bell-shaped flowers with thin crape-like textures grow in warm seasons. In some regions, you might see these bushes bloom throughout the year while decreasing the intensity on colder days. However, the common and official flowering season starts in spring and lasts till the end of summer.
The pollen on these bellflowers attracts hummingbirds and insects like butterflies and honeybees.
Orange Jubilee Toxicity:
The majority of the botanists refer to the Orange Jubilee Bells as a non-toxic and pet-friendly plant. Howbeit, there are a few reports about the toxicity of this bush. So, it is always better to follow the precautions by keeping kids and pets at a bay from the plant
Where to Grow
You can grow the Orange Jubilee bush in the lawn, patio, borders, hedges, or large pots. This hardy peep makes a nice choice for making a fence or borders of yards. The place should be well-lit with at least 8 hours of direct sun. Moreover, you can not plant it in some lower areas. Standing water in the lower areas of the garden makes the water stand and make pits. This may lead to root rot and fungal issues.
Orange Jubilee Care
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This beautiful shrub is a hardy and low-maintenance plant. You just need to plant it once in its suitable place. After adapting to the environment, this beauty grows without any fuss and beautifies your surroundings.
Quick Guide:
Water: Low water requirement and drought tolerance.
Sunlight: Full to partial sun.
Soil: well-drained slightly acidic.
Fertilizer: Only in the initial plantation.
Let us learn more about the care and maintenance of the plant in detail.
Water Requirement
The Tecoma Stans Orange Jubilee plant in the developing phase needs regular watering. You have to keep the soil moist by consistent watering. Moreover, the young foliage needs daily misting to maintain the moisture level.
The bushes growing in the yard attain a certain drought tolerance after getting established with the developed rooting system. After the initial 2 years of growth, it can even withstand longer periods without watering and rain. However, the foliage would appreciate occasional watering between long rainless periods.
On the other hand, the bushes growing in containers or pots have lesser tolerance. They need more frequent watering as compared to the ones growing in yards. Over-watering is harmful to the majority of the plants. Make sure you don’t create mulch while watering the pots.
Sunlight Requirement
This dweller of sunny desserts loves to stay in full sun. It needs a minimum of 6 hours of bright sunlight to keep them grow and bloom at full potential. The plant can also survive in partial shade. However, the blooming potential will be almost equal to half. Shady places are a big ‘No’ for this sun-loving bush. The plant doesn’t grow without sunlight at all.
Soil Requirement
The soil should be well-draining to be suitable for this plant. Wet and soggy soils can make the roots rot out hindering plant growth. This hardy peep grows well with different kinds of soil including clay, sandy, and rocky soils. However, the soil with slightly acidic PH soil is perfect for this plant.
Basic soils create an alkaline environment for the root. This can lead to chlorosis. This is a common plant issue causing the leaves to turn yellow.
Temperature Requirement
The strong Orange Jubilee bush loves to stay in hot climates. It can even withstand a temperature of more than 100 F. The highly hot and humid places like Florida and Mexico can make it grow aggressively. On the other hand, cooler temperatures show a troll on the plant’s health. A temperature below 28 F can even freeze and even kill the plant. In winter, the bushes show a significant decrease in size. This is due to mild shedding and reduced growth.
Humidity Requirement
You don’t have to do anything to maintain the humidity of a developed bush. However, high humidity coupled with high temperature enhances the growth enormously.
Fertilizer Requirement
You can use a common tree or shrub fertilizer while planting for the first time in spring. This will enhance the growth and development of the rooting system. Periodic Fertilization in later stages is not necessary for the Tecoma Orange Jubilee. However, it shows good results in terms of healthy foliage and better bloom.
Dry soil doesn’t let the nutrients reach the soil. Thus, make sure you water the soil mildly before adding the product.
Pruning Requirement
Left to grow freely, this vigorous grower gets weepy and leggy.You can prune the prune several times in summer. This will maintain the size, health, and appearance of the bush. The pot and container growing bushes need frequent trimming to keep them in size. Branches destroyed in the cold season are often pruned. This welcomes new foliage in spring. You can also shape it as a tree to get some fancy looks in the yard.
Growth Zone
The ideal USDA growth zones for the plant are 8, 9, 10, and 11. These zones don’t get temperatures any lower than 20 F.
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Orange Jubilee Propagation
This beautiful plant comes pretty inexpensively. Moreover, you can propagate it on your own as well. Popular methods include;
- Propagation by Seeds.
- Propagation by Cuttings.
Season:
Spring is the ideal time for these tiny seeds and cuttings.
Propagation by Seeds:
- You can obtain the seeds by pods on your plant. Let them stay and get dry on the plant. Now, remove and deseed them.
- Keep the seeds in paper to absorb moisture.
- Wait for the winter to pass before you plant the seeds in spring.
- Select a suitable place with at least 8 hours of full sun.
- Once the weather gets pleasant, plant the seeds in the yard or pot.
- Water the soil mildly to keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout.
- You have to keep the soil moist for the initial months. Moreover, the baby plants age 2 to 3 months may enjoy mild misting, especially in hotter and drier zones.
- Once the Orange Jubilee gets established, you can gradually reduce the watering.
Propagation by Cuttings:
- Take a pair of sharp gardening shears and cut a few branches from the stem. Each cutting should be 7 to 10 inches in size.
- Remove the leaves from the lower size keeping a few on the other end.
- Dip the lower end of the branches in rooting hormone and shed off any excess.
- Now, plant the cuttings 3 to 4 inches deeper in a pot with the moist growing mixture.
- Keep the pot in a well-lit spot. Moreover, the soil should stay moist by mild watering on a frequent basis.
- Roots will develop after three to four weeks. This will be followed by shoot development after seven to eight weeks. Once the cuttings turn into baby plantlets, you can transfer your Tecoma Orange Jubilee plant to your desired place.
Problems of the Plant
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Let us have a look at the common problems you might face while growing the plant.
- Fungus and Root rot: Heavy soils with poor drainage lead to fungus and root rot. This issue may cause a sudden plant death as well. It is common in places with wet soil and problematic agricultural history. Peeps of Phoenix area, Texas, and phytophthora! Be aware of this.
- Caterpillar attack: The leaf skeletonizer caterpillar is a nasty creature that usually attacks in the late summer of monsoon years. The foliage on the upper stems of the bush is the primary target. However, luckily, this damage is short-lived. Also, it only affects the appearance without degrading the plant’s health.
Solutions:
Many chemical treatments are available in markets to combat pest attack. Bacillus thurengensis is a famous biological spray that may help you out.
Vigorous pruning of the upper foliage is the easiest and effective way to get rid of the insects. Just make sure you collect all the sheared branches and dispose of them properly. This will ensure complete and satisfactory removal of the pest.
Summary
Orange Jubilee is a flowering plant native to the Argentine. The bush can grow up to 15 feet tall and famous for outdoor plantation. Shiny dark-green leaves grow alternately on the large bush. Beautiful bell-shaped flowers grow to enhance the beauty of the plant in spring and summer. This bush is highly resilient and grows quickly with a long life. Perfect for growing in yards, patios, and making chain-link fences, this peep even grows in large-sized pots and containers.
Choose a place with at least 8 hours of full sun and well-draining soil. Once it gets established, this hardy peep develops a good drought tolerance. However, you need to water the baby plants frequently. The toxicity of the plant is yet not confirmed. So, keep kids and pets away from mingling or chewing at the Tecoma Stans Orange Jubilee Plant.
