Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Clerodendrum paniculatum (Pagoda Flower)

It is easy to see where Clerodendrum paniculatum gets the common name Pagoda Flower. The flower clusters form towering pyramids of blooms throughout the warm months of the year.  The coral-red flowers open from bottom to top over the course of the summer and fall.
Plants grow with one main stem rising straight up out of the ground to a height of 5-6 feet.  This species spreads vigorously and quickly forms thickets of vertical stems, each topped by a mass of flowers.

Swallowtail butterflies in particular, find this steady supply of blooms to be appealing.
Clerodendrum paniculatum is very drought-tolerant, once established.  Due to its spreading nature, this plant is best used in mixed borders, or as a backdrop for shorter plants.  A native of southeast Asia, it is recommended for USDA Zones 8-11.  In the warmer parts of its range, Pagoda Flower is evergreen.  In the colder regions it grows as a perennial, going completely dormant each winter and re-emerging in spring.

2 comments:

Andrea said...

Hi Jim, thanks for signing in as a follower of my blog. Because you are in subtropical climate we have almost the same plants. I looked at your Clerodendrum and they seem also different from mine here in the Philippines, though we have also the 2 you posted. I actually am not very sure of the ID of ours so just compared it with literatures. They are just growing in the wild here. http://abagillon.blogspot.com/2010/05/beauty-amidst-chaotic-environment.html
But which area in the US are you really? thanks.

Grower Jim said...

Andrea, I think your ID is correct but I don't have that one (yet). I'm in Florida, and thanks for becoming a follower!