RE: Duranta repens? erecta?

Nan,

I don't know if you are also interested in the various
cultivars that are more commonly grown in
subtropical/tropical Australia, South East Asia and
Florida, but the named cultivars with chartreuse
foliage, those with bicolored and more showy flowers,
smaller growth habit etc. are in my view more
interesting garden plants, as they are easier to fit
into a smaller sized garden.

D. erecta is occasionally seen here in the San
Francisco Bay Area, but is uncommon.  This is perhaps
due to the fact that where it is hot enough to
actively encourage great bloom and berry set, it is
not fully hardy, and is a relatively shy bloomer in
cool summer climates such as Berkeley, as well as only
lightly setting a good crop of the golden berries.  It
does grow quite well here, being as quick of growth
and size as the average Budleya.

My personal favorite is another species, D.
stenostachya, which is doing very well in my own
Berkeley garden, regularly in bloom from mid summer
through Christmas, and looks more like a Buxus when
out of bloom.  It also sets less berries than it no
doubt would in a hotter climate, but is still quite
showy in bloom at the moment, with masses of pale blue
blooms.  The only nursery that seems to carry this
less common species here in California is San Marcos
Growers.

The dwarf golden/chartreuse foliaged cultivars are
much used as a trimmed boxwood hedge substitute in
Bali, where it lights up the landscape, especially in
the higher mountain areas. 




__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos
http://launch.yahoo.com/u2
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index