Large leaves, up to 20 centimeters long, eye-catching flowers very similar to orchids and an extremely sprawling growth habit with a dense crown: the trumpet tree, which comes from the south-east of the USA, is very impressive, especially when it is old, and is therefore a highlight in every garden . The fruits that the tree develops in autumn and that remain on the mother plant throughout the winter also contribute to this.
The fruits of the trumpet tree look chic and can be used for propagation
Trumpet tree has many names
The bean-shaped capsule fruits - these are also legumes - can be up to 40 centimeters long, but are only a maximum of five to seven millimeters long. They form gradually after the flowering period, whereby the flowers of the trumpet tree are hermaphroditic and can therefore fertilize themselves. The fertilization is mainly done by bees, bumblebees and other insects, which are attracted by the delicate scent of flowers and find a richly laid table here. The initially green fruits remain on the tree throughout the winter, only to open when the seeds are ripe in the following spring. Because of its bean-like fruit capsules, the trumpet tree is also known as the "bean tree" or "cigar tree".
The fruits are not edible
However, despite their resemblance to nutritious legumes, the fruits of the trumpet tree are not edible, but inedible and even slightly poisonous. (Accidental) consumption can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, but does not lead to death. The only danger is confusion with the highly poisonous angel's trumpet, which is sometimes also sold under the name "trumpet tree". Laburnum, which is also deadly poisonous, is also nicknamed the "bean tree" and also has similar-looking seed pods - the fruits of both plant species, in contrast to those of the trumpet tree, are highly toxic and can have deadly consequences.
Fruits contain many seeds
However, you can use the fruits of the trumpet tree to reproduce it, because the capsules contain numerous seeds, especially after long and very warm summers. These are up to 2.5 millimeters long, flattened and frayed with hair at both ends. Ideally, leave the fruit containing seeds on the tree over the winter and harvest them as soon as they turn brown in spring. The seeds can then be collected and sown, they are very germinable.
tips
In some years, however, you can be unlucky because the fruit does not contain any seeds. In such a case, the trumpet tree can also be easily propagated via cuttings.