Handroanthus chrysanthus aka Roble Amarillo

Handroanthus chrysanthus is a deciduous tree in the Bignoniaceae family. Its native range runs from Mexico south to Peru. It also includes Trinidad and Tobago, according to Kew. The tree grows in tropical forests with varied rainfall. Some sites stay moist; others have a dry season. It grows on open hillsides and sometimes on limestone. Records place it up to 2,460 feet [750 metres] above sea level.

Trees usually reach 39–82 feet [12–25 metres] in height. Some reach about 98 feet [30 metres]. These figures describe the species, not a separate garden size range. The trunk can measure 0.7–1.3 feet [0.2–0.4 metres] across. Growth is slow, though the tree can regenerate well in nature. It sheds its leaves and flowers while its branches stand bare. This makes the blooms a clear feature of its form. The flowers also have a sweet scent.

People grow this tree for ornament as well as wood. The supplied source shows it planted beside a road. Its leafless flowering display gives it value as a landscape tree. It suits the lowland tropics described in the growing records. Those records cover both moist and seasonally dry places. The tree also tolerates winds that carry salt. The evidence gives no firm frost limit or hardiness zone. It gives no detailed soil, watering, or pest guidance either.

The wood is brown, dense, hard, strong, and durable. It takes a smooth finish and serves many local uses. People make furniture, tool handles, looms, and boats from it. They also use it in building work and for bows. This tree belongs to the group sold as ipê timber. Heavy logging puts pressure on the species despite its natural regeneration. Useful Tropical Plants reports its 2021 IUCN status as Vulnerable. It cites a projected decline of at least 30% over a century.

Useful Tropical Plants lists the fruit as edible. It gives the species a low food-use score, one out of five. The same source reports no known hazards. That statement does not establish safety for people or pets. Its medicinal notes discuss related trees rather than this species alone. They do not establish a medicinal use for this tree. Reported ways to raise it include seed, half-ripe cuttings, and air layering. The source recommends sowing seed soon after it ripens.