Araguaney national tree of Venezuela

The araguaney (Tabebuia chrisantha) was declared National Tree of Venezuela on May 29, 1948 and is given throughout the national territory.

The araguaney is an autochthonous tree and its height varies between 6 and 12 meters, it is of slow growth, but of long duration. Its trunk is straight, cylindrical and about 60 centimeters in diameter. It is a strong plant and has the gift of growing almost on any soil, even in those that are poor in organic substances.

The araguaney is green almost all year round but for a few days, the araguaney is covered in yellow, goes unnoticed until its yellow flowers are born, between the months of February and April, when it is totally devoid of leaves.

The araguaney blooms a few days after having rained in the middle of the dry season, it is common to observe that all the araguaneyes of a sector flourish at the same time. The flowers of this tree last a few days and it is an attraction for the bees that pollinate them, and for the birds that look for the nectar.

The araguaney belongs to the species chrisantha, a word composed of two Greek words meaning "flower of gold", its scientific name Tabebuia is of indigenous origin. The term "araguaney" seems to have its origins in the Caribbean word "aravenei" with which this indigenous people gave its name to this tree.