How to Prune Esperanza

Esperanza, or Tecoma stans, is a Texas native shrub. It is a warm season plant with cold tolerance only to United States Department of Agriculture zone 8. The plant thrives in high heat and rocky, infertile soils. Spring through fall Esperanza produces showy bright yellow tubular flowers with a pleasant fragrance which become bean-like pods. Esperanza may grow 3 to 6 feet with a maximum 4 foot spread, but can easily be kept shorter with regular pruning. Esperanza blooms on current season's growth and should be pruned late in winter to encourage healthy shoots in spring.

Things You'll Need

• Tool file
• Hand pruners
• Alcohol
• Swabs
• All purpose fertilizer
• Water
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Cut off any spent flower blooms and remove the pods if you wish. It is not necessary to remove the pods, but it will give the plant a tidier appearance and prevent yard litter. You can save the pods and give propagation a try by sowing some of the seed inside.

2. Prune out any dead or broken wood. If the plant sustained any freeze injury, it will be black and needs to be cut back to healthy wood. Remove any non-producing wood on the interior to bring in the sunlight and enhance air circulation.

3. Remove only as much wood as needed to restore the plant's natural shape. To rejuvenate Esperanza, cut it back to 3 inches tall. This is a hardy shrub and will sprout new growth in spring, although the blooms will be sacrificed for one year.

4. Fertilize and mulch around Esperanza after pruning. Use 1 cup of all purpose fertilizer mixed into the soil around the base of the shrub. Water it in well and top with 3 inches of organic mulch.

Tips & Warnings

• Hone your cutting tools before starting a project. Sharp pruners are easier to use and cause less damage to the plant. Hold blade at a 20 degree angle and slide it up and down the file. Do this up to 20 times or until the blade is sharp. Sanitize the pruner with a swab dipped in alcohol to prevent spreading diseases from plant to plant.

References

• San Antonio Express News; Cutback Now to Ensure Fall Blooms Later; Dr. Jerry Parsons; August 2005
• Aggie Horticulture: Esperanza, Yellow Bells, Hardy Yellow Trumpet, Trumpet-flower, Yellow Elder
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; Clipping of Beans from Newly Planted Tecoma Stans; Barabara Medford
• Times Record News; Yes, Prune Away on the Freeze Kill; Neil Perry; December 2009
• Delta Landscaping: When Should I Prune My Esperanza?