Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
sylvia_tx

Clerodendrums - how cold?

Sylvia
21 years ago

I just love all the clerodendrums that I have seen. C. bungeii and c. fragrans/philippinum are doing just fine outside in the ground, though admittedly we have had mild winters the last two years since they have been out there.

I have c. nutans/wallichii and c. ugandense in pots but am toying with the idea of putting them out in the ground as well. I am wondering how much cold they can tolerate? Is anyone growing these outdoors in zone 8a or colder?

Comments (10)

  • bihai
    21 years ago

    I have wallichii in the ground and have had for over 10 years. Its like a weed. You cannot kill it. It has survived to 22 degrees, possibly lower (18-19) as it has been here since before we bought the house. But we rarely have what you would call prolonged cold. It may dip to a hard freeze for 1-2 nights then its 40 again.

  • Cynthia_c
    21 years ago

    Sylvia,
    My Ungandense is in the ground, even up here in Dallas it is root hardy. But I do have it in a protected area.

  • Nigella
    21 years ago

    I have C. indica, C. quatrolocuare and C. ugandense in the ground and they have been very reliable. C. thompsonii didn't come back, though. BTW, Bihai, I've been lusting for that wallachii for ages, wanna trade something????? I have good luck rooting things and have a lot of plants(lol, DH's favorite comment to me is "don't you have enough plants yet?). LMK what you're looking for!

  • bihai
    21 years ago

    Nigella you better be sure you want this plant first. It gets really tall. I mean REALLY TALL. I just cut all of mine down yesterday (don't worry, the "tree-like" stems are still in the ground so they will just grow new shoots). They were taller than the first story of my house. I have an old house, we have 10 foot ceilings on a ground floor that is raised about 2 feet off the ground. These plants had gotten to be about 15 feet tall, then they bloomed. The blooms were beautiful as always, creamy color, profuse. The bloom heads were so heavy that the entire 15 foot plants leaned over and the blooms rested on the ground. The bloom head on one was 3 feet long! I had tried to stake them so the blooms would stay up but they were just too heavy.

    I have only seen them in one other yard in my town, and theirs never get as large as mine. I can't figure out why, maybe they don't fertilize theirs but mine is in a bed with lots of other stuff so they get regular water and fertilizer. They are really drought tolerant when well established.


    I can dig you these any time. They transplant very easily and even in you plant a bare stick without leaves, as soon as its roots establish it starts growing again.

  • Sylvia
    Original Author
    21 years ago

    thanks everyone. Here's the picture that got me started on this idea.

    Here is a link that might be useful: C. nutans photo

  • trg_e_n_t
    21 years ago

    Clerodendron bungei is hardy here in zone 6 along the lake in Michigan. It is being offered thorough a local wholesale nursery as a hardy plant and they are in zone 5 away from the lake!

  • akisuresh
    21 years ago

    Hello all,

    I live in ca, z9. I have been "desperately" searching for clerodendrum philippinum AKA fragrans. Can anyone tell me where I can get one?

    Thanks
    -Aki

  • seagrapes
    20 years ago

    Clerodendrum ugandense in the ground in Austin, no problem!!! Freezes down, but comes back every year....

  • toad08
    19 years ago

    Has anyone grown Clerodendrum bungii as a water plant? I haven't tried to grow this plant. If someone would like to send me one to try I will be glad to send them a plant in exchange. I'll send you my plant list upon request.

  • steve_nj
    19 years ago

    Hickory, please email me your list. i can send you some bungei.

Sponsored