(Please see photo attached) We live on the south coast of England about 50yds from the beach. Summers are generally warm (70-80 degrees F) and winters mild (35 -45 degrees F). The soil is clay/stoney but has been cultivated for many years. I am a keen - but relatively ignorant - gardener. I have pored over many books to identify this plant - but in vain. It would be marvellous if someone could identify it so I could, with confidence, move it to a more suitable spot. Each year this plant struggles manfully to force its way up through poor soil between paving slabs to provide us with late summer delight. The thin, red 2/3ft high woody stems remain bare until June when the leaves start to develop. The leaves eventually grow to a maximum of adult male hand size and have a strong, pungent, rather unpleasant odour when crushed. The snails appear to love them! The new stems are rather fleshy - only becoming woody towards the end of the season. I suspect the plant would benefit from being pruned to ground level each year but, without knowing its preferences, I leave it to its own devices! The flowers on the hand, are pretty, delicate and have the most beautiful aroma imaginable - very reminiscent of a confectionery that used to be availailable in England called "Palma Violets". They appear in late August and have usually died away by the middle of September. They are multi headed comprising a dome of about 3 inches across and 2 inches deep at the centre. The plant normally grows to about 2 to 3 ft high and 2 ft wide although it has sometimes grown a foot or so higher in particularly warm summers. On dying the flowers take on, somewhat incongruously, a malodorous stench! I'd be delighted to provide more information as required. Jerry Coulson
My Clerodendrum bungei Ron I can't thank you enough! This plant is clearly not very popular in the UK - although now that you've given me its name it's seems that it is not completely unknown either. I certainly intend to rescue it from it's current poor position - it's a wonder it's survived. You definitely made my day - thanks again! Jerry Coulson
