Hi there!

I'm assuming you are referring to Duranta - Golden Dewdrop (small blue flowers and yellow round, ball shaped fruit/seed pods)?

I have several of them as they are big hummingbird and butterfly attractors. They require all day full-sun and do not like to get 'dried out' so regular watering is a must.

Also, to keep it continuosly blooming, you must trim the yellow (golden dewdrop) fruit. It is not a native plant and none of our birds eat the berries. It prevents it from blooming continuously. By the way, the fruit is poisonous to humans and pets.

I have mine topiaried into a small tree and trim it regularly. It provides long cascading flower blooms from spring thru fall. When the late fall/winter arrives, it generally stops blooming.

I hope that helps!

Yes, saintpfl, I am referring to Duranta. I'll try to keep up with the watering to see if it aids in the development of fruits. I have it in my butterfly garden with a lot of other attractors and would love to see it bloom...it would just set everything off nicely. I's getting big, just sans blooms. I'm not giving up.

Is it certain that birds don't eat Duranta berries in Florida? Floridata says that songbirds love them; some other references fail to say one way or the other. I saw a bird under my short bushes but then my yard cat took up residence there, so I have no first hand info (but I assumed it was attracting birds as the bushes sit "alone" by my driveway). Following the advice above, I chopped off the berries to improve blooming, but now I am wondering if this is recommended by other GardenWebbers. My 3 plants are side by side, kept pruned low for now, and watered (only when signs of wilting)& fertilized identically. They bloom on different schedules and to different degrees. Only 2 of the 3 were bought "together". Any thoughts?

I've wondered if there are different varieties. I have two in very similar conditions and one blooms spectacularly, and one almost not at all. This year, I went and cut the non-blooming one down to the ground because that had accidentally happened to the blooming one once. I figure, you never know when accidental abuse was exactly what the plant was waiting for.

And Stpfla, does it require constant trimming to keep it as a standard? I just trimmed the bloomer into a standard, partly because it had developed a central trunk and it just looked like it would do that easily. But it's a vigorous plant. I'm wondering if I'll be able to keep up with it.

I have not personally witnessed any birds eating the fruit off of my Duranta. I am basing my opinion on a view of several Duranta's from my home office for the past 3 years. I think there are birds that eat it -- just not in Florida. Perhaps in the country where it originated there are birds that eat the berries? Who knows...

Once I begin the remove the berries (actually BEFORE they had a chance to become berries), my Duranta bloomed profusely until the late fall when the sun was not as strong.

As it is really a shrub, I twisted the branches to form multi-wrapped trunks and then cut off any suckers. I have found Duranta to be a consistent performer and actually, somewhat low maintence. I trim it when I have the time and find my roses to be much more fickle and demanding.

Here are a few photos so you can see:

I had mine trained into a tree and it froze to below the ground with our hard freezes this season . It has returned as a vigorous bush with all green growth and no flowers --- yet .
I think you are a bit early in Ocala wishing for flowers just now .

There are several varieties and each behaves differently .

Several years ago I had both the white and the sapphire showers (purple & white). They bloomed sporadically and I never saw a bird go near the berries. I tried keeping the berries pruned off and it didn't make it bloom any more frequently. I finally pulled them both out. There are better blooming butterfly plants that need less water.

Julie

I have black ants all over my Duranta golden dewdrop. How do I get rid of them?