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Clerodendrum

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​​​​​​Clerodendrum

Clerodendrum quadriloculare

  • ​Common Name: Clerodendrum - Winter Burst (other common names: Glorybower, Starburst Bush, Fire Works, Philippine Glorybower, Shooting Star).
  • Scientific Name: Clerodendrum quadriloculare
  • Family Name: Lamiaceae
  • Origin: New Guinea and the Philippines.
  • Height: 10’ – 15+’
  • Width: 8’ – 10’
  • Growth: Fast growing.
  • Zone: 9B - 11
  • Light Needs: Full Sun – Partial Shade. For the best flowering results, choose a location with full sun when planting starburst clerodendrum. While it will grow and even bloom some in shade, the display will not be as dramatic, and the flowering period will be shorter. Light levels will also impact the canopy, in the full sun, it forms a compact canopy, while shaded limbs are thin and widely spread.
  • Salt Tolerance:  Medium
  • Soil/PH/Texture: Likes loam, sand, and fertile humus, acidic to neutral (pH 5.6 – 7.5).
  • Soil Moisture: Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Average water needs but do not overwater.
  • Drought Tolerance: High
  • Pests/Diseases: If you see wilted or chewed leaves, look for mites, which can sometimes bother the starburst. If you find any, apply a horticultural oil spray to smother and kill them.
  • Growing Conditions: Minimal pruning to be shaped, will naturalize, and grows year-round in hardiness zones. You should add top soil, organic peat moss and composted cow manure to the hole when you plant it, plus you should fertilize it up to 3 times a year - in spring, summer, and autumn - with a good granular fertilizer, and bone meal added will promote heavier spring bloom.
  • Characteristics: This evergreen that can be used as a shrub or tree and has beautiful and unusual leaves. The topsides of the leaves are green, with just a tinge of purple, while the undersides are a glossy, deep purple. It's the foliage that's the point of interest throughout the year, but they’re most eye-catching in mid-winter and early spring when its showy, 1”, tubular flowers, 8-12 inches across, that are white tipped and pink below—appear in large clusters like showers of fireworks.
  • Propagation: Stem cuttings (softwood), tip cuttings and they grow underground by stolons and runners.
  • Wildlife: Hummingbirds, bees and long-tongued butterflies love to visit these tubular flowers for their sweet energizing nectar.
  • Facts: Starburst or shooting star clerodendrum is so named for its flowers that resemble delicate white stars shooting forth with a lovely pink tail trailing in their wake. It is a member of the mint family. CAREFUL: Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested.
  • Designer Considerations: Makes a lovely small specimen tree or shrub, suitable for 3 gal. or larger containers but need to be repotted every 2 – 3 years and have excellent drainage, and very suitable for xeriscaping. It can be used as an accent in a mixed bed, backdrop for smaller plants, a privacy screen, large shrub for the corner of your house, home gardens, streetscapes, public spaces, mass planting, or an accent for a taller home.​