June 15th, 2006
Duranta erecta
2006-06-15. Austin, TX. Duranta erecta ‘Sapphire Showers’…or possibly ‘Geisha Girl’. The nursery didn’t identify it and some sources say that it’s the same cultivar under different names–ruffled, violet-blue flowers with white edges.
That last cool and rainy week in May I popped in at Barton Springs Nursery as a reward for my taking my car in for it’s yearly inspection before the sticker expired. My wandering into a nursery is as wise as an alcoholic browsing at a liquor store. The last two years I’ve put myself under a strict plant-purchasing moratorium, taking advantage of these drought years to focus on the hardscaping of the garden in hopes of adding some structure and manageability.
Like everything marketable, plants are subject to human whims in taste, to horticultural fashion. Before me lay all sorts of plants I didn’t know, but the first to catch my eye was a tropical looking plant with lime-green leaves and delicate panicles of violet blue flowers, Duranta erecta. It’s common names are golden dewdrop, or pigeonberry, for its golden fruit which is poisonous to humans but beloved by birds. It is an attractive nectar plant for butterflies and hummingbird. Golden dewdrop is very trendy in Austin this year because it’s been named a Texas Superstar plant.
Disregarding my own advice about buying plants in the summer, seduced by the cool light drizzle stirring up memories of my recent week in England, I bought three of them. After all, they were on sale. [They're on sale because it's summer. They're doomed. Don't do it! -- Your Rational Mind]
Everything about golden dewdrop reminds me of plumbago: its multiple, arching stems form a small fountain of a bush; its five-petaled flowers hang in loose racemes at the tip of each branch; its glossy, green leaves withstand heat and sun. Also like plumbago, golden dewdrop will die back to the ground in a freeze. So, although it is naturally a large bush or small tree, in Austin it will remain a mid-sized shrub. In colder climes than Austin, golden dewdrop is often grown as a potted plant and brought indoors to overwinter.
In its native South America golden dewdrop grows on limestone which means it should be happy in Austin soils as long as it is planted in a well-drained spot and not in heavy clay. (The requisite caveat in all garden writing.) It is reputed to tolerate drought (What do gardeners in Puerto Rico consider a drought?), poor soils, and some shade but it grows and flowers best if planted in a nice garden bed and watered.
In order to get them through the summer, I put the golden dewdrops in the front planter as potted plants. Recently, in order to clear the driveway of the gravel pile, AJM moved the stone into the reconstructed planter until I can use it elsewhere in the garden. Then I thought, hmmm, this looks like a design.
Garden History
2006-05-31.
Wandered into Barton Springs Nursery and came out with a 1-gallon Duranta erecta (on sale for $4.99, originally $5.95).
2006-06-02.
I did some research on them and went back and bought two more to fill in the front planter temporarily. (Golden dewdrops get big. Putting them in the front planter permanently is just asking for more costly stonework repairs.) Planted them in 3-gallon pots in a mixture of sifted compost, coffee grounds, and potting soil.
2007-03-02.
All three survived both drought and freezes. Transplanted the largest of the three into the front south border between the oleander and the redbud (where rose ‘Buff Beauty’ was). Most of the stems are still green and new growth is sprouting at the base.
by M Sinclair Stevens in Austin, Texas
June 15th, 2006
What gorgeous photos! Maybe I should have gone to Barton Spring, too - yours look lovely, and three of them at once . what riches! My one very small plant, bought in March, has not yet bloomed.
One of the Divas of the Dirt grows Duranta in semi-shade, and another garden friend has it doing well in full sun. Last year I helped both of them with the big spring cleanup, removing a 5′ X 5′ mass of spikey dead branches from each plant before the new growth started. It was a big mess, but worth it to get that color.
Thanks, Annie. I couldn’t resist that color. I’m always glad to get reports from the field from other Austin gardeners. I hadn’t seen any duranta around but when I haven’t been introduced to a plant I frequently don’t notice it. Most sources say that it needs full sun to bloom well. There’s not spot in my garden that gets full sun, so we’ll just have to see what happens. If this whimsical purchase does survive the summer, I have a lot of spots where rose bushes once bloomed that have opened up these last two years. — mss
June 19th, 2006
The alcoholic/plant-buyer analogy applies exactly to me, and I’m proud to say I’ve only hit the nursery twice this season–once to the tune of $54 and then just $15. I’ve had about a five-year moratorium in which I’m working on neatening up edges (yeah, sure).
Anyway, glad to find your blog; its comforting to find another plantaholic.
Plantaholic. I think you’ve coined the perfect term. I’m looking forward to exploring your garden at Full Fathom Five. Your photos of wisteria in bloom at Longwood Gardens are incredible. — mss
May 2nd, 2007
I live in Inverness, Florida and I bought one of the gorgeous Durantas last spring. It was in a hanging basket (and still is). It bloomed all summer and rewarded me with beautiful golden berries. Our temperature went into the 20s a couple of times last winter and it survived. Despite the fact that I also neglected it terribly. As I said it is still in that hanging basket. I had some dieback but not much. Of course, it hasn’t gotten any larger. I plan on planting it where it spent the winter, alongside of my fence in my back yard in partial shade. It flowered quite well in that location all last spring and summer. So if it can take all I dished out last year and still make it I’d say it definitely is a Super Star.
And I too am a plantaholic.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with duranta. They seem like really tough plants, as well as being beautiful. — mss
August 28th, 2007
I recently visited Florida and purchased this beautiful plant for a friend. Where can I mail order this plant and grow it in my sunroom in PA. I would hope to grow it indoors for the winter and than transfer it outdoors in the summer.
I bought mine here in Austin. I don’t know of any mail order source specifically. — mss
September 3rd, 2007
Stephanie, I don’t know what part of PA you reside but I bought my plants at Groff’s near Quaryville - Lancaster County. They have some beautiful plants and I’m hoping to be able to bring these beauties into my sunroom for the winter. The people at Groff’s think they will survive. Good luck.
September 29th, 2007
I hope your Sapphire Showers are doing well.
There are two types of duranta that are currently growing in San Antonio.
One is the “Lilac Flowering” and the other is Sapphire Showers.
There is a little twist to this: The lilac flowered has been on the market longer than sapphire showers. But, the catch 22, I can no longer find Lilac Flowered in the nurseries. It’s given way to Sapphire Showers.
The lilac flowered seems to be hardier here. It starts blooming in early summer. It has a more upright habit, and is a decidous shrub.
Sapphire Showers seems to bloom later in the season. My neighbor says that her’s died to the ground in the winter.
The earliest that I saw Sapphire Showers in bloom was late July. This was at the San Antonio Airport.
In our neighborhood, it started blooming mid-August.
Yesterday, I was driving around and saw a huge Sapphire Showers in bloom. It was about 10 feet tall. It was in full sun and looked beautiful. (I’ll keep my eye on that one over the coming months!)
I don’t know if Sapphire Showers blooms later in San Antono because the hybrid and the plants are still getting established, or if it is a trend with this hybrid.
November 9th, 2007
I just found this plant at Home Depot, and was doing a web search on it when up comes your site! Hey! How about that?
The box store has these for $15 a pot (I think it’s a three gallon, and trained like a vine with a stick support - the whole set up is as tall as I am), and as I was reading the tag on them, a young male ruby throated hummer was busy zooming all around me to sample every flower. THAT is star power, baby. Give me some hummer crack for MY patio.
I’m gonna buy one, or maybe two, tomorrow…
November 18th, 2007
I live 40 miles SE of Gainesville, FL, and have sapphire showers planted on the east and south sides of my house (about 2 doz. plants total). Both my fire bush and sapphire showers are the most beautiful plants I’ve ever had. Both shrubs just took a hit when the temperature dipped to 28 F on November 16th. The leaves turned black and are drooping. Has this happened to other folks, and if so, did the plants recover in spring?
The sapphire showers should be root hardy especially since you didn’t have a hard freeze. Scratch a little of the bark with your fingernail. If it is green (and the stems flexible) then they are still alive and new leaves should sprout in the spring. It is brown then they’ve died (but snap the branch to double-check). Root-hardy plants like the sapphire showers have a better chance of surviving a freeze if they have a nice thick mulch covering their roots. — mss
January 11th, 2008
Is it okay to trim off the berries if they are looking unsightly or do they serve some purpose to the plant? I have never had birds eat the berries, though the flowers draw lots of hummingbirds and butterflies. Mine has been planted in a very large pot on the south side of the house for about five years now. I’ve never wrapped it during freezes (we haven’t had a hard freeze in awhile)and it remains green all year. I’m in West Houston. I’ve recommended this plant to lots of people but all it takes is for someone to see it in full bloom and they are ready to go out and buy one or two.
Berries serve one purpose, to make new plants. So trim them off if you don’t like them. Many people grow duranta for the decorative berries. Thus one of its common names is golden dewberry. I like that the duranta has violet flowers and golden berries on the same plant at the same time this time of year. — mss
February 27th, 2008
I was so happy to find this site. I was looking for info on duranta and here you all were, a absolute wealth. I run a greenhouse in Illinois and I am growing duranta for the first time this year. I have all the technical info I needed to grow it but it really helps to find out what everybody is saying about the plant, wheather they find it a pain or are happy with it. Up here it will be a annual and I am sure some customers will give it a try to take it inside into sunrooms to winter it over. You guys are great, owning a greenhouse business is what happens when being a plantaholic gets totally out of control. Sharon
Glad you found us and hope you find more useful information as you explore Zanthan Gardens. –mss
March 13th, 2008
Love your site! Bought my first Duranta last week at a local nursery. It was in a hanging basket and has purple flowers but no berries. It literally flowed down the basket. I have planted it next to my fence in hopes that it will eventually trail over the fence.
Today a friend gave me another one-purchased at a different nursery-which is in a 5 gallon bucket- and is more of a shrub, upright-type with golden berries galore, and no flowers (yet).
I’m wondering if I have 2 different species. I hope that the one next to the fence is not a low, ground hugging type. Your thoughts please.
March 23rd, 2008
I too suffer from plantoholics.
I have a dew drop that froze last year in April, it lost all limbs but has since grown two 4-footers with an errant limb growing from one of them. Can I cut this back in order to force more limbs? And if so how far back should I cut it?
Thanks in advance.
Yes, you can cut it back to shape it anyway you want it. In colder places, it freezes to the ground each winter and comes back. It doesn’t mind being cut back harshly. — mss
March 24th, 2008
My son gave me two of these for Christmas. I’ve repotted them into bigger pots and placed them in my courtyard. Should I cut them back as the Plant ID tag suggests? They are looking pretty healthy so I hate to stress them now. Thank you. Love your photo and blog.
Why does the Plant ID suggest you cut them back? If you are happy with them and they look healthy, then let them be. Cutting them won’t stress them too much. If you cut one shoot in half, it will form two shoots. So if you want them to be smaller or bushier, cut them back. But if you prefer their more graceful natural form, leave them as they are. — mss
April 4th, 2008
Lovely photos! Bought this midsummer 07…in a half-barrel in a niche on the front entry (outside). I didn’t do enough research about overwintering. I did cut it back to 4-8cm above the root base, tho’ I cannot remember if it was in the fall, or midwinter after a hard freeze and mild snow. While the few twigs coming of the branches are flexible, under the bark is light brown. I have seen what looks like a greenish woody root, so I may hold out hope. I am in Upstate SC, and am wondering if it comes back at all, when would I first see signs of life? (It will have a place in our sunny breakfast room this winter!)
I have two in the ground and one in a pot outside. All have come back. Duranta is supposed to be root-hardy and it likes the warm weather. Don’t give up on it until the temperatures are in the 80s consistently. — mss
May 14th, 2008
I would like more specific information to the plant that I bought at one of our local nurseries in the Okanagan, British Columbia.
Duranta- purple ruffles. It didn’t come with a tag and the woman had little info. told me to go on line. I’m having a hard time trying to find the info. on how big it will grow, where I should plant them if it is perrinneal for our area ect… If you could send me this info. and pictures of the type I have purchased I would appreciate it very much, thank-you Helen
June 2nd, 2008
Your plants are beautiful, I have two blue Durantas in pots (water savers, we are have water restrictions in Australia) and my plants are looking sad and droopy. I pruned them thinking it was a pest problem, now I think I may be watering them too much. The leaves are turning dark green at the tips and then a soft limp brown before falling. How can I save my plants?
Pruning them should not have hurt them, only made them grow bushier. Overwatering them, especially leaving the plants in standing water could cause the roots to rot. They are fairly drought and heat-tolerant plants. Better to water too little than two late. If you suspect rot, then repot them. You’ll probably have to cut them way back on the top and any rotted roots. They still might not survive but since it looks like they are going to die anyway, you are simply upping the odds for survival. — mss
July 6th, 2008
Just found this at HEB $16.99 I think it is 10-12 ” pot. It has many sprays of flowers and stands about 3′ and stands about 3′ high. The color is just beautiful. I am trying it in a partial shade spot on the front lawn. We saw it at the SA zoo outside the butterfly house. It is growing like a large shrub there.
July 22nd, 2008
I have 3 sapphire showers and one varigated golden dewdrop. The varigated and one of the durant eractas are in the ground in nearly full sun. The other two are in hanging baskets. I’m having trouble with all four not producing many flowers! It’s mid-July and there are no flowers on the two in baskets and mostly only golden berries on the others, with an occasional flower spray. They are in well-drained soil, but I water and fertilize them regularly.
Any ideas on what I can do to maximixe the flowers???