# Tecomaria

Tecomaria is a colorful flowering plant that attracts many birds and butterflies! Its bright blooms make gardens and parks look beautiful, especially during springtime.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Tecomaria grows in gardens, parks, and along roadsides, thriving in warm and sunny areas.

![Tecomaria](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tecomaria_capensis_W_IMG_1601.jpg&width=800)

Photo: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tecomaria_capensis_W_IMG_1601.jpg)

## Appearance

The Tecomaria is a vibrant, fast-growing shrub or climbing vine with glossy, dark green leaves. It boasts spectacular clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers, typically brilliant orange to red-orange, often appearing against the green foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Magnoliophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Scrophulariales
- **Family:** Bignoniaceae
- **Genus:** Tecomaria

## Interesting facts

- Despite its common name, 'Cape Honeysuckle' is not related to true honeysuckles!
- In its native South Africa, sunbirds with long beaks love to drink its sweet nectar!
- It can grow incredibly fast, sometimes putting on several feet of growth in a single year!
- Its beautiful flowers offer a splash of color even during the cooler months, when many plants are dormant!

## Special abilities

- **Climbing Prowess:** Tecomaria can grow as a dense shrub or climb structures, covering large areas with its scrambling stems and bright flowers.
- **Drought Defender:** Tecomaria has excellent drought tolerance once established, allowing it to survive and thrive even in dry conditions.
- **Rooting Spreader:** Tecomaria can easily root from its branches where they touch the ground, helping it spread and form new plants naturally.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 200-500 cm
- **Spread:** 150-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 4-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Year-round in warm regions; otherwise fall and winter.
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Bird

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Greater Double-collared Sunbird (*Nectarinia afra*) — Drinks nectar, aiding in the plant's reproduction.
- **Pollinates:** [Ruby-throated Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — Feeds on nectar where Tecomaria is introduced.
- **Eats:** Cotton Bollworm (*Helicoverpa armigera*) — Larvae may feed on the leaves and flowers of the plant.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Tecomaria?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Tecomaria?

200-500 cm

### How wide does Tecomaria spread?

150-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on Tecomaria?

4-5 cm

### When does Tecomaria bloom?

Year-round in warm regions; otherwise fall and winter.

### Is Tecomaria edible?

No

### Is Tecomaria toxic?

None

### What is Tecomaria's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Fairview Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairview-park) — California, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Tecomaria: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tecomaria)