James Burghardt
Family
Verbenaceae
Botanical Name
CLERODENDRUM splendens
Plant Common Name
Flaming Glorybower
General Description
Crinkly, deeply veined leaves create a lovely backdrop to the festive orange flowers that grace flaming glorybower. This tropical, twining, sprawling evergreen is a native of western Africa, from Senegal to Angola. Its deeply veined leaves are bright green when they emerge and then deepen to glossy dark green. The blooms can appear anytime of year but the heaviest showing of blossoms is in midwinter, just after the solstice.
The flowers heavily cover the twining stems and are borne in big flattened clusters. They are tubular, five-petaled, orange-red and surrounded by purple-red calyces (the leaves that once covered the flower buds). If spent clusters are cut off they will rebloom, but this is at the expense of enjoying the showy fruits that follow. These blue berry-like fruits are supported by the star-shaped calyces and stay pretty for a long time. Hummingbirds love this vine’s flowers as do butterflies.
Grow flaming glorybower in full sun to partial shade and fertile, moisture retentive, acid to neutral soil. It is a shorter vigorous vine that’s perfect for trellises, small courtyard arbors or posts that it can clamber up. It is equally lovely as a billowing groundcover. This vine can survive in areas with occasional light winter frosts, though it will die back to the roots and re-sprout in spring, much like an herbaceous perennial.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 10
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USDA Hardiness Zone
9 - 15
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Vine/Liana
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
10'-15' / 3.0m - 4.6m
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Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Early Winter, Winter, Late Winter
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Native To
Western Africa
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Loam, Sand
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Growth Rate
Fast
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Water Requirements
Average Water
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Habit
Vining/Climbing
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Red, Purple, Orange Red
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Fruit Color
Indigo, Dark Blue
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Dark Green
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Bark Color
Tan
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
Yes
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Coarse
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Smooth
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Usage
Feature Plant, Groundcover, Rock Garden / Wall, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical, Vine
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
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Self-Sowing
No
