Clerodendron carries abundant foliage and a beautiful summer blooming that gives way to cute little green or black berries in fall. This fast-growing shrub of 6 to 10 feet earns its place in a hedge, a shrub bed or a pot on a terrace; give it sun and a winter that isn’t too harsh, and it flowers freely.
| Name | Clerodendrum |
|---|---|
| Common | Clerodendron |
| Family | Lamiaceae (old: Verbenaceae) |
| Type | shrub |
| Height | 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | rather rich |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | summer → early fall |
Proper planting, care and pruning will facilitate growth and solve small problems while growing.
For clerodendrum, planting is an important step because. Indeed, it contributes to proper settling in, growth and blooming.
Plant preferably in spring but also in fall before the first frost spells.
Clerodendron is hardy down to -5°F or -15°C, depending on the variety.
It’s possible to grow clerodendrum in a pot, especially if you intend to keep it from freezing in winter.
Preparing cuttings in summer works very well for clerodendron.
This is a particularly easy shrub to care for, especially once it has settled in well.
Regular watering is recommended, especially in case of heat waves.
Adding fertilizer in spring will have a great impact on blooming and growth.
At the end of winter, you can balance out and slightly reduce the branches.
Under cover or indoors, check leaf undersides for red spider mites, which thrive in the dry warm air of a heated room.
The name covers hardy garden shrubs, tender climbers and a few glasshouse favourites, and they are not interchangeable. The table below sets out the ones most often offered, so you can match flower, habit and hardiness to the spot you have in mind.
| Variety | Flowers | Habit | Where to grow | Main interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue butterfly bush | Blue and violet, butterfly-like | Medium, arching shrub | Pot, moved under cover | Unusual blue flowers |
| ‘Pink Diamond’ | Domed heads, pink | Medium, suckering | Mild gardens, sheltered wall | Cream-variegated foliage |
| ‘Carnival’ | White, fragrant | Medium to tall shrub | Open ground, sheltered | Cream-margined variegated leaves |
| ‘Prospero’ (bridal veil) | Pendent white sprays | Medium shrub | Conservatory, frost-free | Cascading white flowers |
You’ll easily keep it growing inside your home or apartment.
In winter, find a place for it where the temperature hovers around 50 to 60°F (10 to 15°C).
Native to China, Clerodendron will be most at ease in places where the winter season isn’t too harsh.
Strong and long-lasting bouts of freezing will slow the growth of the shrub.
Both ornamental and easy to care for, it offers a beautiful blooming during the summer, and produces cute little green or black berries in fall.
This shrub grows very fast and can be planted in a hedge, a shrub bed, or a pot on a balcony, deck or terrace.
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The same shrub behaves differently in open ground, in a container and under a roof. Here is what each setting asks of you.
| Setting | Conditions | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| In the ground | Sunny location, part shade also fine, sheltered from strong winds | Hardy outdoors, mulch the roots against the cold |
| In a pot | Large pot with a drainage hole, soil mix for shrubs or flowers, watered as soon as the surface dries | Moved under cover to keep it from freezing |
| Indoors | Grown inside a home or apartment | A spot at around 50 to 60°F (10 to 15°C) |
Whichever you choose, the shrub blooms through summer and sets small green or black berries in fall.
Outdoors, mulching is recommended, both in summer to keep moisture in, and in winter to protect the roots from the cold.
Four or five years ago I was given a sucker of a claradendron tritocomum. It has grown well in a pot into a good little shrub. Will it ever flower like the parent tree, which was a beautiful specimen?