Lydia Tecoma
Tecoma ‘TEC60109106’ PP24169
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 8b-11 Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
Height at Maturity: 4-5′
Width at Maturity: 4-5′
Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges, 7′ for space between plants
Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges, 7′ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form:
Growth Rate: Fast to Very Fast
Flower Color: Bright Yellow
Flower Size: 1.5-2″
Flowering Period: Spring to Frost!
Flower Type: Trumpet
Fragrant Flowers:
Foliage Color: Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun
Water Needs: Average, Lower when established
Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sand, Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well-drained moist
Soil pH: 7.0 – 8.0 (Neutral to Slightly Alkaline)
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Moderate Drought, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Rabbit
Description
Until recently, Tecomas grew huge, bloomed only in late spring and fall, and were covered in unattractive seed pods after flowering. That was then, this is now. Lydia is more compact and its bright yellow flowers, resembling those of Campsis (trumpet vines), start in early spring continuing to frost, with fewer seed pods. Both butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. In frost-free areas the plant will grow to about 5 feet in height with an equal spread. In areas with colder winters we’re hearing it might max out at 3 to 4 feet in height and spread.
Note: Lydia Tecoma is a new introduction from the Southern Living Plant Collection that, honestly, we don’t have long term experience with. We planted a specimen in January 2017 and will be updating this page if and when we know it will survive our winters here in Zone 8a of north-central Georgia.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Its smaller size of 4 to 5 feet tall and wide makes Lydia Tecoma a good fit in smaller landscape and garden spaces. Since it has that tropical look, we planted it among banana trees, elephant ears, palms and other cold hardy tropical-looking plants near one of our garden ponds. It’s also ideal for use as an accent, in groupings or mass plantings, or as a colorful hedge in landscape borders and home foundation plantings, or as a solo or centerpiece in large containers. A fine addition to butterfly and hummingbird gardens, perennial gardens, rock gardens, tropical gardens and the Xeriscape (low water needs).
Suggested Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges; 8′ or more for space between plants
Note: For our customers who live and garden North of USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 8b, where this Tecoma variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and place back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
From what we’ve heard, Lydia Tecoma is much more cold hardy than it’s sub-tropical cousins, having survived winters as far north as USDA Zone 8b. It is equally as heat and humidity tolerant as other Tecomas. We’ve heard from a reliable source in Zone 8b that Lydia is root hardy and sprouts back from the ground in spring, much like hardy Lantana does. If you live and garden north of Zone 8b, and are unsure about whether or not you want to be a “guinea pig” with this new plant, consider planting it in a container that can be moved indoors during the coldest part of winter.
Lydia Tecoma is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average fertility and full to mostly sun for best flowering. During the first year it requires regular watering to become established. After that the plant is quite drought tolerant. It does not require pruning however might benefit from an occasional deadheading of spent flowers.
Caution: Because there have been reports of allergic reactions to the sap from this plant we recommend avoiding consumption and wearing gloves when pruning to avoid coming into contact with the sap.
Note: Find helpful advice from our experts under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop computer monitors or below on mobile devices.
Plant Long & Prosper!
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