Tabebuia pentaphylla commonly called Pink Poui is a member of the Bignoniaceae family and originated in South America.
The Pink Poui can grow to a height of approximately 60 – 70 feet. Its dazzling display of pink trumpet flowers is brief and comes at the end of the dry season – around April to mid-May.
A display of these flowers could have been seen in Brickdam, Croal Street, Irving Street, Avenue of the Republic and other places where it has been planted. The amazing thing was the clusters of trumpet flowers which had fallen to the ground like a carpet. What a sight to behold!
Although planted for its beauty, it is also grown in other countries for providing shade on coffee and cocoa plantation. It is also planted throughout the Caribbean and South America as a shade tree.
Poui takes approximately 3 – 4 years before it begins to flower. It also comes in another colour, the Yellow Poui. The Yellow Poui when in full bloom is one of the most striking sights in the Caribbean, as it sheds all its leaves before blooming as was seen in Brickdam outside of St Stanislaus College last week.
For those of you who would like to grow a Poui Tree, it can be grown by seeds.
Until next week, happy gardening.
