CARING FOR DURANTA erecta
This is an unusual, rare, and attractive bushy, evergreen, shrub which originates in scrub thickets and open woodland from Florida to Brazil. As you would expect, it is therefore frost tender and best grown in a large pot in the greenhouse which can go outside (in shade from full sun) in the summer. We have tried it outside at Burncoose but it needs full shelter from cold winds and we have lost it on occasion.
The Golden Dewdrop or Pigeon Berry is however well worth growing. Its common names give away its best attributes. It has obovate and, sometimes, toothed leaves which appear in whorls. Long (4-6 inch) panicles of lilac-blue or white flowers appear in summer and are quickly followed by long cascades of ovoid yellow fruits. A startling effect in the early autumn and one which only a few UK gardeners have enjoyed.
Once established Duranta benefit from an annual pruning to encourage the new growth shoots which produce the best flower and berries. Propagation is fairly straightforward from semi-ripe new growth in mid-summer.
