I have the Duranta known as Brazilian Skyflower, it's not erecta, but a different cultivar with blue/white flowers. It's in a container on the south facing patio for 2 years now, grows great - haven't seen a flower on it yet. It's a little gangly for the patio, growth habit isn't terribly attractive, so I think it's going to have to find a new home if it doesn't bloom this year. Not looking too promising. Hope you have better luck with yours.

I have 3 durantas (golden dewdrops is a common name). One is Sweet Memories, one is Alba and the other is the species (lavender bloom) All 3 of them start blooming mid spring and continue until fall when the berries form and persist thru the winter. Because of frost damage during the winter months, I prune them all very hard in the spring and, even then, they easily grow to 5 or 6 feet. Without that type of pruning, I believe they would reach 10+ feet.

I have one, Sweet Memories. It was in a 1 gallon pot when I bought it in March and is currently 5+ feet tall. I'm in Allen (near Dallas). I just posted about it last week! Must be a popular choice these days :) Here's the link to the other thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Older Duranta Thread

Okay, so it looks as if I can still use it, but in the back of the bed instead of the front edge. But I still have a question about winter & pruning.

I'll be planting in front of a south-facing brick wall with all day sun. So I hope the full sun and protection from northern winds will help them last the winter without doing stuff like bringing them inside.

A couple of people on the other thread mentioned pruning it back in early spring & PJ recommended covering it with a box/mulch to protect it from freeze. But if it grows to 5-6ft and I don't prune it until March, won't I be looking at a really really big box in November? Or can you prune in November?

~ Amy

I have sapphire showers in a pot.

I bought mine this summer, probably late June, mid July. It cascades down over the edges and is easily 3 ft wide but only about 2 ft tall.

The others I've had, have grown to about 5ft from May to Fall. I think I've just not fertilized much.

Here's the important thing. I've had several, tried them twice in the ground, never had one return. I drag the pot in and it keeps on blooming and only gets better in the spring.

I'm in Arlington.

Hmmmm, thanks Cynthia. Something to think about. I'm looking to avoid high-maintenance plants, and bringing something in for winter is high-maintenance in my book. I guess I'll find out in a couple of months, eh?

~ Amy

Amy, your duranta will definitely freeze and not return in the DFW area. I live in Copper Canyon (north of Dallas), and tried two separate winters to overwinter one in the ground. The second time around, I covered and then mulched, and it still did not return. They are container plants in our area, and the one I have in a container now is about 8 feet tall and has bloomed since Spring. They are worth the effort of saving them.

well, shoot!

okay, so if you bring it in, does it go the garage or the house? - and do you bring in all 5-8ft of it, or do you prune it first?

~ amy

I am in Colleyville and have had the white duranta in the ground for two years. Just planted my purple and white early this spring. It had been in a pot for about three years. Both are in protected spots. South brick wall. So far, so good.

I have never had a white one, all of mine have been the Sweet Memories, and they were protected as well. I have not pruned my large one before, but this may be the year I have to do so. I have so many brugs that have to share the protected space, the duranta may just get a haircut. They root easily, BTW.

carrie
how do you root duranta? Do you just put a branch in water?

Mine has just this week put up a couple of tall center branches. I guess it was pruned to be more a sprawling, weeping plant, but now it wants to grow tall. I'd like to root some just in case I lose this one through the winter.

In the past, I've drug the pot into my greenhouse. Sometimes it would get really dry and I could bring it back to life with a good watering. This spring I lost my big plant. The roots must have grown so thick and was so pot bound that it literally rotted in the pot.

They will put out a big root if they need water and attach themselves to the ground, so move your pot around regularly and water regularly too

I do love this plant and I love having it big in the spring. Last year I drug it out in March and it bloomed all year! I don't have anything else that does that.

c

Cynthia, I root them in soil. I just take a nice cutting, dip it in a root stimulating substance, pot it in a good soil and keep it moist. As you know, they are water hogs. I really do not know what I am going to do with mine after this year as it is very large. It has bloomed all year and is still blooming. I have it between two pink brugs (Harlot and Isabella) and it really shows off.

thanks carrie
I made a mistake by leaving mine in the same big pot for 2 years. After the first winter, it was glorious. After the 2nd it was so pot bound the roots literally rotted but couldn't take in water.

they definitely give you lots of flower for the time and money, but they get big!

Fortunately, they take a big trimming well, but the year I left mine as big as possible was the best!

I should drag mine over near my pink brug. Don't know her name but she's covered with blooms now.

Where can I purchase a 1 gal and what time of year?
I haven't seen it here in San Luis Obispo. We are in a microclimate that rarely freezes or frosts. will be near the house. Pot our ground best? Fell in love with this pant when visiting a friend in Soutern California-Rancho Bernardo.
Thanks

I bought a very small plant there of the lavender one with golden berries. It grows quickly. They may have larger plants too. c

Here is a link that might be useful: Almost Eden

Cynthia, I have had them root just lying on the ground. They freeze and come back here in SA. We have not had a killing freeze since 2010 so mine is huge. It is as tall as the shed and about that big around.
This picture was taken in late April. It has grown to it's current size since that time.
Kathy

Kathy
I have 2 in the back yard that are now about 4 ft tall. They froze to the ground here in Arlington and came back. But I had to wait until the last few weeks for flowers on them

I have other in now BIG POTS that I drag into the garage for winter and they are easily 8 ft tall. I'll post a butterfly pic and the background is the roof of my house. I checked the roots in spring and they were still OK. I suspect I will need to divide the two clumps in my big pot or risk losing them to strangulation. Anyone have thoughts about how to best do this? Should I do it this fall or early spring?

BTW I have found these at Lowes and Ace Hardware in both spring and fall in the gallon size.

c

They are very common in the Valley where I grew up. Pharr and San Benito. When I was little, I heard someone talking about mock orange. I thought it was duranta, as the berries looked like tiny oranges to me.

Well, mine is too tall to go into the plant room for winter, so it will have to be pruned quite a bit. When Lin was here the other day, she estimated that is over 12 feet this year. I am glad they come back for you, Cynthia. I tried three years with no success, so I decided mine would be in a container as I really love the plant.