Floridata: Clerodendrum splendens

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#685 Clerodendrum splendens
Common Names: flaming glorybower
Family: Verbenaceae (verbena or vervain Family)

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Flaming glorybower is ablaze with brilliant scarlet flowers from late winter until early spring.

Description
Flaming glorybower is a woody or semi-woody evergreen vine or running shrub to 12 ft (3.7 m) long, that climbs by twining. The leaves are oval, to 7 in (18 cm) long, and arranged in opposite pairs. Flowers are salverform (which means tuba shaped) having a slender tube with an abruptly expanded corolla. They are scarlet (sometimes white), about 1 in (2.5 cm) across and borne in dense terminal clusters to 5 in (12.7 cm) inches long. The fruit is unknown.

Location
Flaming glorybower, like many of the Clerodendrums, is native to western Africa.

Culture
Light:Full sun, but does best with some shade during the hottest part of the day in summer.
Moisture: Water frequently in summer, sparingly in winter.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 10 - 11. Flaming glorybower does not tolerate frost.
Propagation: Glorybowers can be propagated from softwood cuttings in spring, or by breaking off pieces of root or removing rooted suckers.

The rampant growth of flaming glorybower requires a sturdy support like this pergola at Miami's Fairchild Tropical Garden.

Usage
This coarse-textured evergreen climber is popular in warm, humid climates and can be used as an evergreen screen on a trellis or wall. The flowers are extremely showy and attractive to butterflies as well as people. Encourage branching and more flowers by cutting back previous season's growth to a suitable pair of buds.

Features
There are some 400 species of Clerodendrum occurring in tropical and subtropical regions in Africa, Asia, and the western Pacific. Harlequin glorybower (C. trichotomum), is hardy to zone 6 or 7, and Cashmir bouquet (C. bungei) and Turk's turban (C. indicum), to zone 8.

WARNING
Under ideal growing conditions, glorybowers can be somewhat invasive and difficult to contain.

Steve Christman 5/16/00

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