Family: Bignoniaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Tabebuia rosea, commonly known as rosie trumpet tree or pink trumpet tree, is a large deciduous tree native from Mexico through Central America to Ecuador. It is widely cultivated throughout the tropics for its spectacular display of pink to lavender trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom on mostly leafless branches, creating a striking ornamental display. The tree typically grows 50–100 feet tall, with a broad spreading crown and distinctive gray bark. Rosie trumpet tree is commonly planted as a shade tree along streets, in parks, and in large landscapes. Its moderately durable wood is also used in some regions for construction, furniture, and carpentry.

Risks & Threats
Rosie trumpet tree is naturalized on Oʻahu and possesses traits that are cause for concern, placing it in the Evaluate category. It produces abundant wind-dispersed seeds that can establish beyond cultivated areas, particularly in disturbed sites and suitable habitats. While it has not demonstrated the level of invasiveness seen in Hawaiʻi’s highest-risk tree species, its ability to reproduce outside cultivation and spread naturally warrants continued monitoring. Ongoing evaluation is needed, and caution is recommended when planting this species to ensure that it does not negatively impact Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystems. When selecting trees for landscaping, choosing low-risk or native alternatives is the most environmentally responsible option.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized beyond native range (O'ahu, Puerto Rico)
  
• Congeneric weed (T. heterophylla invasive elsewhere)
  
• Broad climate suitability (wide altitude, rainfall, temperature tolerance)
  
• Tolerates wide range of soils (poor, acidic, occasionally flooded)
  
• Intentionally dispersed by people (timber, ornament, agroforestry)
  
• Wind-dispersed seeds (winged propagules)
  
• Tolerates mutilation and fire (pruning, fire-resistant)

Low Risk Traits:

• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• Not allelopathic, parasitic, or toxic
  
• Not shade-tolerant (light-demanding)
  
• No vegetative reproduction in the wild
  
• No persistent seed bank (short viability untreated)
  
• Not dispersed by water, birds, animals, or as contaminant