Common Names: Pink trumpet tree, Rosy trumpet tree, Savannah oak, White cedar
Local Names: 
Species ID: NMP-252 | NCBI_Taxonomy ID: 429709 | wfo-0001327544

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Asterids

Order: Lamiales

Family: Bignoniaceae

Genus: Tabebuia

Species: T. rosea

Synonyms: Tecoma rosea Bertol., Tabebuia pentaphylla (L.) Hemsl., Sparattosperma roseum (Bertol.) Miers, Couralia rosea (Bertol.) Donn.Sm.

Tabebuia rosea is a medium to large deciduous tree, typically 15–30 meters tall, with a straight bole up to 1 meter in diameter. Its key characteristics include:

·       Bark: Grey to brown, vertically fissured with corky ridges; used medicinally for its bioactive compounds (Burkill, 1985).

·       Leaves: Palmately compound, with 3–5 elliptic to oblong leaflets (8–35 cm × 3–18 cm), acute to acuminate apex, glabrous; petioles 5–32 cm long (Prance & Jongkind, 2015).

·       Flowers: Large, trumpet-shaped, pink to purple (5–8 cm long), in terminal clusters; bloom when leafless, creating a striking display (Fern, 2024).

·       Fruit: Linear capsules (10–35 cm × 1–2 cm), green turning brown, containing numerous winged seeds (2–3 cm long) (Kew Science, n.d.).

Tabebuia rosea is native to Central and South America and widely introduced in tropical regions:

·       Geographic Range: Native from southern Mexico to Venezuela and Ecuador; introduced to West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana), Asia (India, Malaysia), and the Caribbean; cultivated in Nigeria for ornamental and medicinal purposes (Kew Science, n.d.).

·       Habitat: Thrives in moist to dry forests, open fields, and along roadsides; prefers well-drained, loamy soils (pH 5.5–7.0) with annual rainfall of 800–2,000 mm; occurs at elevations up to 1,200 m (Fern, 2024).

·       Ecological Role: Acts as a pioneer species in disturbed areas; supports pollinators like bees and butterflies; seeds are wind-dispersed (Burkill, 1985).

Tabebuia rosea is extensively used in West African and Latin American traditional medicine, with pharmacological studies validating several applications:

·       Wound Healing: In Nigeria, stem bark decoctions promote wound healing. Methanolic stem bark extracts (5% w/w in petroleum jelly) significantly reduced excision wound size in rats by day 16, comparable to Cicatrin powder, due to flavonoids and tannins (Nwonu et al., 2011).

·       Antioxidant: In Ghana, leaf extracts combat oxidative stress.

·       Antibacterial: In Nigeria, leaf extracts treat infections.

·       Anti-inflammatory: In Cameroon, bark extracts reduce swelling. Ethanol bark extracts activated the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway, reducing inflammation in cellular models, attributed to specioside and phenolic compounds (Garzón-Castaño et al., 2020).

·       Hepatoprotective: In Nigeria, stem bark treats liver disorders. Methanolic stem bark extracts (200 mg/kg) reduced paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats, lowering ALT and AST levels, comparable to silymarin (Hemamalini et al., 2012).

·       Antimalarial: In Ghana, bark decoctions treat malaria. Lapachol in the bark showed antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro, though its clinical use is limited by toxicity (Castellanos et al., 2009).

·       Anticancer: In Nigeria, leaf extracts are used for tumors. Total alkaloid leaf extracts exhibited cytotoxicity against MOLT-4 leukemia cells in vitro, suggesting potential anticancer activity, though further isolation is needed (Sathiya & Muthuchelian, 2010).

⚠  Toxicity Profile: Tabebuia rosea is generally safe at therapeutic doses, but lapachol in the bark is associated with toxicity. Acute toxicity studies showed no mortality in rats at methanolic bark extract doses up to 2,154 mg/kg (LD₅₀). Sub-chronic dosing (400 mg/kg for 28 days) caused mild liver enzyme elevation (ALT increased by 10%). Lapachol has shown reproductive toxicity and embryolethality in animal studies, limiting its clinical use. High doses (>1,000 mg/kg) may cause gastrointestinal distress. Use is contraindicated in pregnancy and for children due to insufficient safety data. Potential heavy metal contamination in wild-harvested plants requires caution (Castellanos et al., 2009; Nwonu et al., 2011).

The bioactivity of Tabebuia rosea is driven by its diverse chemical constituents

·       Naphthoquinones: Lapachol, α-lapachone, with antimalarial and antibacterial effects (Castellanos et al., 2009).

·       Flavonoids: Quercetin, luteolin, contributing to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities (Garzón-Castaño et al., 2020).

·       Phenolic Acids: Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, enhancing wound healing and antimicrobial properties (Nwonu et al., 2011).

·       Alkaloids: Present in leaves, with cytotoxic effects against leukemia cells (Sathiya & Muthuchelian, 2010).

·       Tannins: Found in bark, supporting astringent and hepatoprotective effects (Hemamalini et al., 2012).

·       Ornamental: Planted in Nigeria for its vibrant pink flowers, enhancing urban landscapes and parks (Fern, 2024).

·       Timber: Durable wood used in Nigeria for construction, furniture, and tool handles (Burkill, 1985).

·       Ecological: Used in reforestation to stabilize soils; supports biodiversity by attracting pollinators (Fern, 2024).

·       Cultural: In Yoruba culture, bark decoctions are used in rituals for spiritual cleansing (Burkill, 1985).

• Burkill, H. M. (1985). The useful plants of West Tropical Africa (Vol. 1). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Castellanos, J. R. G., Prieto, J. M., & Heinrich, M. (2009). Red Lapacho (Tabebuia impetiginosa)—a global ethnopharmacological commodity? Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 121(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.10.004

• Fern, K. (2024). Tabebuia rosea. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Tabebuia+rosea

• Garzón-Castaño, S. C., Jiménez-González, F. J., Veloza, L. A., & Sepúlveda-Arias, J. C. (2020). Activation of the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway by specioside and the n-butanol extract from the inner bark of Tabebuia rosea (Bertol) DC. F1000Research, 9, 1262.

• Hemamalini, K., Krishna, R. V., Vasireddy, U., & Bhargav, A. (2012). Hepatoprotective activity of Tabebuia rosea and Solanum pubescens against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 5(3), 153–156.

• Kew Science. (n.d.). Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC. Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:111027-1

• Nwonu, P., Okoye, T. C., Akah, P. A., Ezike, A. C., Ejindu, I. A., & Eneh, S. E. (2010). Wound healing properties of stem bark extract of Tabebuia rosea. Journal of Pharmaceutical and allied sciences, 7(4).

• Okokon, J. E., Ettebong, E., & Antia, B. S. (2008). In vivo antimalarial activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis. Indian Journal of Pharmacology, 40(3), 111–113.

• Oladosu, P. O., Egharevba, H. O., Okhale, S. E., & Okogun, J. I. (2013). Phytochemical screening, antimalarial and histopathological studies of Allophylus africanus and Tragia benthamii. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, 29(29), 684–689.

• Prance, G. T., & Jongkind, C. C. H. (2015). Bignoniaceae. In Flora of West Tropical Africa. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Sathiya, M., & Muthuchelian, K. (2010). Anti-tumor potential of total alkaloid extract of Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC. leaves on MOLT-4 cells in vitro. Asian Journal of Biotechnology, 2(1), 44–51.

• Wikipedia - Tabebuia rosea

• NParks Flora & Fauna Web - Tabebuia rosea

• iNaturalist - Tabebuia rosea

• Useful Tropical Plants - Tabebuia rosea

• World Flora Online - Tabebuia rosea

• Methyl benzene
• o-Xylene
• 3-Pentene-2-one
• 2-Carene
• 2,4-dimethylhexane

Oloyede, G. K., Oladosu, I. A., Shodia, A. F., & Oloyade, O. O. (2010). Cytotoxic effects of Tabebuia rosea oils (leaf and stem bark). Archives of Applied Science Research, 2(3), 127-130.