I bought several Golden Dew Drops and saw that too. Two things I have learned since a year has passed:
1) Not one bird has eaten the berries
2) Berries = no blooms

I later read somewhere to cut the berries off to encourage blooms and have been doing that ever since. Works like a charm. I have constant blooms since -- and the butterflies and hummers love the blooms.

oh....thanks for that tip, SaintPFla ...I love those blooms, but they're sure absent with TONS of berries. I'm going to go pick berries!

Hmm never got birds eating the berries, but the bees and butterflies sure like the blooms. Will pick any berries from now on to encourage blooms. Anyone ever start plants from the berries?

the berries look nice, the yellow really pops out, but since they are 'useless' except producing seedlings under the bush, I will cut them off, too.
SaintPFla thanks for the tip

Evelyn

You actually want to snip the end of the stem/branch (whatever its called) holding the berries. Cut it off right above where the berries begin. As you know, it usually contains 12-14 berries in a row.

This encourages the new growth and new blooms. Mine look very plump, happy and full of flowers and appears to be thriving - sans the berries. The butterflies love it and so does my hummingbird.

Also, be very cautious of the berries - they are poisonous to humans. I'm thinking they must be to most birds as well, hence why none of them eat them. Must be one species somewhere that can tolerate the berries which is how this rumor of 'birds eat the berries' got started.

I had a white duranta and the birds never ate the berries and I cut all them off and it still didn't bloom much, so out it went!

I have the sapphire showers duranta that I'm trying to train to be a tree, and the birds never eat the berries on that, either. I'll try cutting off the berries and see how it blooms.

A friend of mine has a purple duranta and that thing blooms like crazy.

Julie

ive never seen a duranta before till i looked it up after reading this thread.
I live in palm beach county- is it too hot here (I have no idea what zone this is)
it looks beautiful- would love to get a couple

Hey Auryn:

I live in PBCo., too, and have a duranta. It grows just fine. I have the same experience everyone else here has, birds ignore the berries, butterflies and bees love the flowers and the more you trim the bushier and more flowers you get.

Julie-WPB

Same here: even the fruit loving birds don't touch the fruits

I have an 8 year old duranta. Every year it is full of both berries and flowers. I trim it a lot every December so we can cover it if/when we get a freeze. And like everyone else no one eats the berries but everything loves the flowers.