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Yellow bells (Tecoma stans)

Yellow Bells is commonly grown as an ornamental but has become naturalised in tropical and subtropical parts of Australia. It invades bushland margins, disturbed habitats and agricultural land, where dense stands can inhibit regeneration of other species.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Southern United States to northern Argentina and the Caribbean Islands.

Established in: QLD, NSW, SA, WA, NT.

Other names: Yellow Trumpet Bush, Tecoma, Golden Bells, Trumpet Bush.

Identification

  • A densely branched shrub or small tree, usually 3–8 m tall.
  • Its pale grey-brown bark has conspicuous small pale spots.
  • Leaves are 8–25 cm long, with 7–13 toothed leaflets arranged in opposite pairs.
  • Showy yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers are 3.5–5 cm long and grow in clusters at branch tips or upper forks.
  • Long, narrow pods turn brown when ripe and split to release numerous flat, papery-winged seeds.
  • Look-alike: No similar species are reported in Australia.

Where it grows

In Australia it occurs in tropical and subtropical areas, including disturbed habitats, coastal sand dunes and riparian areas on the margins of rainforest and eucalypt forest communities.

Why it matters

  • It can form dense stands that inhibit the regeneration of other species and restrict habitat for native fauna.
  • On farms it can reduce pasture quality, restrict access for stock and machinery, and compete with orchard plantings.
  • It is reportedly palatable to cattle and goats.

How it spreads

  • Plants produce large numbers of papery seeds that are dispersed by wind.
  • Seeds are also dispersed by birds and carried by the movement of soil and water.
  • The horticultural industry has spread the plant as a garden ornamental, although this is now being discouraged.

Control options

  • Small plants can be removed by hand pulling or digging using approved methods.
  • Plants can be treated with an approved cut-stump application or stem injection method.
  • Foliar spraying of the whole plant or basal bark application is suggested for smaller plants and seedlings; use registered herbicides according to their label.
  • Once established, Yellow Bells can be difficult to eradicate with herbicides.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Seeds can be carried in moved soil and water, so avoid moving soil or water from infested sites.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Restricted matter, category 3. Do not give it away, sell or release it into the environment. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Regional priority in 2 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in North Coast, North West. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Northern Territory: Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 (NT), administered by NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment

Sources