Scientific: Duranta erecta
Common: Golden dew drops
Family: Verbenaceae
Origin: Scrub and open woodlands in the West Indies and Central and South America
Pronounciation: Du-RAN-ta e-REC-ta
Hardiness zones
Sunset 13-17, 19-24
USDA 9-11
Landscape Use: Accent shrub or trellis plant, container plant
Form & Character: Open and a bit sprawling, weeping and cascading, petite, delicate, wiry, tropical, colorful.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, woody, broadleaf perennial shrub, moderate growth rate to 10-feet tall with an equal spread. Can easily be maintained at 5 feet. Golden dew drops will grows larger in more humid climates.
Foliage/Texture: The ovate leaves are 1- to 3-inches long and arranged on the stem in pairs opposite each other, or in whorls of three; medium fine texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Showy blue flowers (sometimes white) bloom almost all year long in terminal or lateral clusters (racemes, actually) up to 6-inches wide. Fruits are a small, 1-inch wide, small, orange-yellow pome.
Seasonal Color: Flowers during entire warm season, fruit provide accent during winter.
Temperature: Cold hardy to 28oF. Shoots typically experience frost or freeze injury each winter in the lower elevation, colder sections of the greater Phoenix area such as in Mesa, Queen Creek, Apache Junction and Chandler/Gilbert.
Light: Needs partial shade in xeric style landscapes but performs well in full sun in landscapes with much surrounding vegetation, no western sun.
Soil: This beautiful shrub needs good soil drainage and fertile soil for best full growth.
Watering: In Phoenix, regular supplemental irrigations, especially during summer months, are needed.
Pruning: Heading back and light shearing may be needed to control occasional irregular shoots, otherwise leave alone to grow naturally. Inevitably the 'Horticultural clods of Phoenix' (aka 'Hort clods') will shear golden dew drops into the proverbial oversized landscape beach ball robbing it of its ability to gracefully beautify any landscape setting.
Propagation: Seed or stem cuttings.
Disease and Pests: None
Additional comments: Golden dew drops is a graceful, delicate, medium-sized landscape shrub that has both seasonal floral and fruit accent features.
There are several distinct cultivars including:
Special toxicological warning: The attractive fruits are poisonous to humans, so be wise and avoid use of this shrub in children play areas where the temptation to 'try out' the lovely fruits might occur.
