The golden trumpet (Allamanda cathartica) is a flowering plant you’ll commonly see in tropical locations. They are used as landscape decorations in various locations because they have deep yellow flowers and are simple to grow in a greenhouse. However, growing them in a typical home would be challenging due to their humidity needs and strong light requirements. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand how to take care of the golden trumpet to prevent it from wilting or getting sickly.
The golden trumpet can grow up to 15 meters tall, but you can grow it as a shrub with a compact shape using a container. They require lots of sunlight and water, so you should grow them in your backyard instead of keeping them inside. Also, fertilize them from spring to summer every two or three weeks with good plant food.
What is a Golden Trumpet?
A golden trumpet is a strong and healthy evergreen plant that mainly grows in South America. It has golden yellow flowers, which tend to get big unless grown in a container. It also has glossy, leathery foliage. A golden trumpet is mildly toxic if ingested and irritates eyes and skin, but the effects won’t last long.
The golden trumpet blooms in the summer and fall, and it has five enormous overlapping petals when it is completely developed. All the flower clusters occur at the tip of the new shoot, and there can be more than one flower in each cluster. Hummingbirds will frequently visit these flowers, but they won’t damage the petals or flowers.
Classification of Golden Trumpet
The golden trumpet is also known as “Allamanda cathartica” or just “Allamanda.” It is a type of flowering plant indigenous to Brazil and a member of the Apocynaceae family.
Appearance and Characteristics of Golden Trumpet
The golden trumpet features clusters of yellow flowers and typically has four to five yellow petals. They can grow up to 20 feet tall and have light green leaves. Three or four whorls of leaves can be seen on a single stem. It has single or double flowers, which means a single flower can have more than five petals on a single blooming.
On the other hand, wavy-margined, obovate leaves, white throat markings, and leathery petals are another way to distinguish this flower. A golden trumpet also has a mild fragrance, which is toxic, leading to hallucinations and headaches. Additionally, consuming these plants might result in stomachaches, eye and skin irritation, and major health problems if consumed in large quantities.
Quick Summary
- Also known as Allamanda cathartica
- Has yellow petals
- Mildly toxic
- Can reach a height of 20 meters
- Require lots of sunlight and humidity
- Quite difficult to grow in the house
- Has white throat markings on petals
- Fully blooms from summer to fall
- Hummingbirds love them
- A cluster of flowers on each stem
- More than four leaves on each stem
How to Care for Golden Trumpet
Every plant requires intensive care in order to reach its maximum potential. You need to provide them with favorable conditions. Otherwise, they’ll wither or die quickly. When the soil begins to dry up, the golden trumpet needs a lot of sunlight and water. This means it might require attention all the time.
Sunlight
Growing a golden trumpet inside would be hard as they require lots of direct sunlight. You can open a window to give them sunlight, but if the plant gets too big, it may cause problems inside the house. Still, you have the option of growing it inside a container, but it will stop the flower from reaching its true size. The flower will remain compact inside a container, but it might lose its deep yellow coloring.
The golden trumpet must be exposed to direct sunshine for four to six hours each day. However, if the sunlight is too harsh, you can keep it under a shade where it receives dappled sunlight throughout the day. If you have trees in your garden, keep this plant under them to ensure that the plant and the soil won’t try quickly.
Watering
The golden trumpet doesn’t require constant watering, but it does require lots of water when the soil gets dry. After fully watering the soil, wait until the top two inches are dry before rewatering. Moreover, if you are growing it in a container, remove and provide fresh water for the first two inches daily. Also, empty the drainage tray daily to prevent soggy soil. In case of rain, cover the container so the soil should not get excessive water. That might not be possible if the plant grows in the open, so let the soil dry completely after the rain before watering it again.
Humidity and Temperature
Under normal circumstances, the temperature should be more than 21℃ during the day and 15 – 18 ℃ at night. However, if the temperature exceeds 35 ℃, you should bring the container under the shade. The best way to provide sunlight to this plant during high-temperature days is to keep them under a tree or perforated sheets. The humidity required for this plant to grow is 50% or higher; in other words, it should be moderate to high.
Cleaning
Keep an eye on your plant and look out for mealybugs and aphids. Treat any infestation immediately, and try to keep the hummingbirds away when the flower is blooming. Once it fully blooms, letting those birds come and enjoy them is no danger.
Fertilizer and Soil
You need to fertilize the vines so they can grow quickly, but be careful of overdosing on fertilizers as it allows them to grow aggressively and stops the flowering. The adequate amount for growing vines is 30 mL fertilizer around the root area.
Repotting
You must repot your golden trumpet at the start of the season to achieve the finest results. However, your current pot must be one size bigger than your older pot. There should be a drainage hole in the pot where you can drain the soil to prevent it from getting soggy. If the soil gets soggy, it can cause root rotting.
Growing in Garden
Ensure that your garden gets six hours of direct sunlight daily, and you can easily water the plant whenever needed. Moreover, there should be some trees in the garden, so if the temperature exceeds the plant’s critical limit, you can move it to the shade.
How and When to Prune Golden Trumpet
You must prune the golden trumpet in the spring before its growing season. Likewise, if you happen to see the vines growing abruptly after fertilizing, prune the trumped vines. This allows the flower to grow as normal. Nonetheless, if you want your plant to look spectacular, let it grow and prune at the end of the season.
Problems With Golden Trumpet
The biggest problem with this plant is its complication while growing. You have to ensure the water is available at the precise time, and the temperature should be optimum. Aside from that, it will attract lots of bugs like spider mites and whiteflies. Its abrupt growth is also an issue. It can engulf your other garden plants if there are heavy rains for a few days.
How to Propagate Golden Trumpet
The best way to spread golden trumpets is by getting their shoots and suckers or digging the roots and planting them elsewhere in the garden. Plant them in winter or spring so they can grow until summer. Make sure the root you take is at least three to four inches tall. You need to plant them beneath the soil and ensure that the root remains moist until it starts growing. Within a few months or maybe weeks, you’ll see the signs of new growth.
Why You Should Grow Golden Trumpet
The bright yellow color of the trumpet flower will increase your garden’s beauty. Furthermore, some studies have suggested that it is a great antidote for poisoning. Taking the bark in small doses can help with acute abdominal pain and is also purgative.
Facts About Golden Trumpet
Here are some facts about this flower:
How Big Does a Golden Trumpet Get?
The vine of this plant can grow up to 20 feet, but if you keep the fertilizer in check, it will only grow to 12-15 feet. The average size of a flower is 5-inches across, but it can grow up to 8-inches. Overdosing this plant on fertilizer can speed up its growth, but you have to prune it if it gets bigger than the average size.
On the other hand, if we talk about a full tree instead of growing it in a container, the tree can grow up to 80 feet tall in its natural habitat and 30-40 feet tall in cultivation, making it a suitable option for homes.
What Are Golden Trumpets Good For?
Golden trumpets can cause hallucinations and euphoria, acting like mild painkillers under certain circumstances. Moreover, once it is fully grown, the tree is good for shade, and the bright yellow flowers are good for garden decoration.
Are Golden Trumpets poisonous?
The golden trumpet is not poisonous, but it is slightly toxic. It will cause itching and stomach ache if someone eats it. Keep your children away from the plant if you grow it in a container. If your children eat a flower or a petal, visit your doctor immediately. Do not let them smell the flowers and rub them on their face or eyes.
Is the Golden Trumpet Poisonous to Pets?
Golden trumpets are poisonous to pets, and your pet will face severe pain if they eat them. It doesn’t matter if they bite a branch, swallow some seeds, or eat a petal. However, your pet won’t die, but the pain won’t be easy to tolerate, and it should be treated as a medical emergency. Ensure to visit the vet as soon as possible before your pet’s condition gets serious.
How Fast Do Golden Trumpets Grow?
After planting the seed, the golden trumpet should take around two to three months to show signs of growth. In just a few weeks, it can reach a height of a few feet. If the plant gets plenty of sunlight, it will produce blooms that will last the entire season. For optimal results, plant it in a moist, well-drained soil.
Common FAQs
How much light do golden trumpets need?
On average, Golden Trumpet requires more than four hours of sunlight daily. It would be better to keep it under direct sunlight for up to six hours or more if you want the flowers to bloom throughout the season. If you stay in areas that are hotter than 35 celsius, you can keep the plant in a shade so it gets the sunlight but won’t dry quickly or wither.
What is special about golden trumpets?
The biggest benefit of this plant is its rapid growth. If you have a colorful fence, let golden trumpet take over it; that’ll make your fence look even better. If you have a small garden and want a small tree, the golden trumpet is a good option if you grow it in a container.
Are golden trumpet plants good indoor plants?
No, golden trumpets require lots of direct sunlight daily and can get quite big. Growing them indoors means they can cover the entire wall; since they are dangerous to kids and pets, it is recommended to grow them outside.
Can golden trumpet plants survive in low light?
They can grow in dim light, but the process would be slow. The flower’s size will reduce, and its color will be light yellow. A small amount of light shade is required, while direct sunlight is preferable for the best results.
Why don’t golden trumpet plants grow?
Giving these plants excessive fertilizer is one reason the golden trumpet is not growing. On the other hand, too rich soil can also stop growth.
Summary
How should I maintain a golden trumpet? Drain the water from the soil, give them direct sunlight, and don’t fertilize too heavily. In this post, we covered all there is to know about the development, application, and general information of the golden trumpet.
