About Handroanthus chrysanthus (Jacq.) S.O.Grose
Handroanthus chrysanthus, commonly known as araguaney, is a rustic deciduous tree that grows in hard, dry, or poor soils. Even so, its roots need well-drained terrain. It reaches a height between 6 and 12 meters. Its leaves are opposite and petiolate, with an elliptic and lanceolate shape, and pinnate venation. The tree produces large, tubular flowers with a broadened deep yellow corolla, each about 2 inches long. Flowering occurs from February to April, before new leaves grow back. The fruit is a dehiscent capsule that typically matures by the end of the dry season. Handroanthus chrysanthus is slow-growing but long-lived. Both flowering and fruiting happen during the dry season from February to April, allowing seeds to take advantage of early rains. If the rainy season is delayed, the araguaney may produce a mild second round of flowering and fruiting. It is a highly efficient moisture manager, and similar to mango trees, it requires the most water during the dry season. This species occurs in clearings of deciduous tropical forests across the broad Guiana Shield region. It is also native to warm lowlands, savannas including areas along Vía Oriente to El Guapo, Cupira, and Uchire Sabana, and even some arid hills such as Mampote, Guarenas, Guatire, and Caucagua. Its habitat ranges from 400 to 1700 meters above sea level.
