Yellow Elder
Scientific name: Tecoma stans
Overview
Yellow Elder is a small tropical hardwood tree native to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Mexico, Central America, and portions of South America. The species is best known for its bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers, which have made it a popular ornamental tree throughout tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
In fact, Yellow Elder is the national flower of the Bahamas and is widely planted in parks, gardens, roadsides, and residential landscapes. While the tree is valued primarily for its ornamental qualities, the wood is occasionally utilized for small woodworking projects, carvings, crafts, and utility applications.
Because the tree typically remains relatively small, Yellow Elder is not considered a commercial timber species. However, it remains an interesting addition to hardwood collections due to its cultural significance and widespread distribution throughout the Caribbean.
Within the Caribbean & West Indies hardwood group, Yellow Elder is notable for its ornamental beauty, ecological value, and importance in tropical landscaping.
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Yellow Elder
- Scientific Name: Tecoma stans
- Region: Caribbean & West Indies Hardwoods
- Tree Size: 10–30 ft tall, 4–12 in trunk diameter
- Average Dried Weight: 34 lbs/ft³ (545 kg/m³)
- Janka Hardness: Approximately 900 lbf
- Color: Pale yellow to light brown
- Grain: Generally straight
- Texture: Fine to medium
Identification Characteristics
Yellow Elder produces a light-colored wood that ranges from pale yellow to light brown. The wood is moderately lightweight and generally exhibits a uniform appearance with little figure.
The grain is usually straight, while the texture is fine to medium. Finished surfaces are smooth and clean, although the species is rarely encountered in large lumber dimensions.
Key identification traits include:
- Pale yellow to light brown coloration
- Generally straight grain
- Fine to medium texture
- Moderately lightweight structure
- Uniform appearance
- Smooth finished surfaces
- Small-diameter logs
- Bright yellow flowers on living trees
- Good dimensional stability
Working Properties
Yellow Elder is easy to work and suitable for small woodworking projects.
- Machines easily
- Carves well
- Turns well
- Good gluing properties
- Accepts finishes readily
- Sands smoothly
- Easy to cut and shape
- Moderate dimensional stability
- Suitable for light-duty applications
Safety Note
Wood dust from Yellow Elder may cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation in sensitive individuals. Proper dust collection and respiratory protection are recommended during woodworking operations.
Common Uses
Yellow Elder common uses include:
- Small carvings
- Craft projects
- Woodturning
- Decorative objects
- Utility items
- Light furniture components
- Educational collections
- Collector wood samples
- Ornamental plantings
- Wildlife gardens
- Landscape projects
- Pollinator habitats
Sustainability & Notes
Yellow Elder is widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions and is frequently planted as an ornamental species due to its long flowering season and drought tolerance.
The species provides nectar for pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Its adaptability to poor soils and dry conditions has made it a popular landscaping tree in many warm climates.
Because Yellow Elder is commonly cultivated and reproduces readily, it is generally not considered a conservation concern. Its greatest value lies in its ecological benefits and ornamental appeal rather than timber production.
Comparative Notes & Related Species
Jamaican Cherry – Another small Caribbean tree valued more for its fruit and ecological importance than for timber production.
White Stopper – A denser Caribbean hardwood that produces stronger and more durable wood despite its relatively small size.
Calaba – A significantly larger Caribbean hardwood species used for furniture, construction, and woodworking applications.
Related Guides
Hardwood vs Softwood: Key Differences Explained – Learn how hardwood species differ from softwoods and how growth characteristics influence wood properties.
How to Start a Wood Collection – Learn how collectors build and organize wood sample collections from around the world.
Labeling and Cataloging Wood – Explore best practices for documenting and organizing wood specimens.
Compare Wood Properties
See how this species ranks in density and hardness using our Wood Density & Janka Hardness Chart. You can also explore Hardest Woods, Softest Woods, and Most Dense Woods for quick comparisons.
Collector Notes
Yellow Elder is an interesting collector species because it demonstrates that many tropical hardwoods originate from trees better known for their flowers, ecological importance, or ornamental value than their timber.
Well-prepared specimens help illustrate the diversity of Caribbean tree species and provide an opportunity to document a wood that is rarely encountered in commercial lumber markets.
Collectors interested in Caribbean woods often appreciate Yellow Elder because of its connection to Bahamian culture and its status as one of the region’s most recognizable flowering trees.
Share Your Photos of This Species
Do you have lumber, wood samples, tree photographs, woodworking projects, furniture, carvings, turnings, musical instruments, or other items made from this species?
Exotic Woods of the World welcomes photographs from woodworkers, collectors, sawyers, researchers, and wood enthusiasts around the world. Selected submissions may be featured on this page and throughout our website to help document and showcase real-world examples of this species.
When submitting photos, please include the common name, scientific name (if known), a brief description, and any information you would like us to share with the image.
Wood Sample Collection
This species is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve wood samples from around the world.
Learn more about contributing to the collection:
Resources
Authoritative botanical and forestry references used in compiling information about this species include:
• USDA Forest Service – Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/products/publications/
• The Wood Database – Global reference for wood identification, physical properties, and woodworking characteristics
https://www.wood-database.com/
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Plants of the World Online – Botanical taxonomy and species distribution database
https://powo.science.kew.org/
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red List) – Global conservation status assessments
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) – International trade regulations for protected plant species
https://cites.org/
Additional forestry publications, academic research papers, and regional timber studies may also be referenced where available.
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Availability & Where to Buy
Exotic hardwood availability can vary significantly depending on region, sustainability regulations, and supplier inventory.
As this archive grows, recommended suppliers and specialty wood retailers will be listed here to help woodworkers locate responsibly sourced material.
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