Pink Trumpet Tree (Handroanthus impetiginosus): Pau d'Arco

Pink trumpet tree, also known as pau d'arco, ipê roxo, or taheebo, is a spectacular deciduous tree native to South America, famous for its massed pink trumpet flowers and valuable medicinal bark.

Botanical Profile

Description and Features

This tree grows 30–50 feet tall with a broad crown. Leaves are palmately compound, deciduous in dry season. In late winter to spring, before leaves, it is covered in dense clusters of tubular pink flowers with yellow throats. Wood is extremely hard, durable.

Cultivation and Uses

Pink trumpet tree prefers full sun, well-drained soil, and a distinct dry season for best flowering. It is a magnificent specimen tree. The inner bark is used in traditional medicine (pau d'arco tea) for antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties. Timber is prized for decking, construction.

Conservation

Overharvesting for timber and bark threatens wild populations.