Mystery Plant Please help in identifying this plant. I've been to just about every garden centre in the lower mainland and no one knows what it is. It's a quickly growing viner that flowers from mid/late spring through early fall as long as it gets plenty of sun and warmth. It also sets very tiny seeds in pods that take almost 3 months to germinate.
Hello, I'm not familiar with the plant, but I asked David Tarrant (who loves any blue flower) and he recognized it immediately. This is a plant variously known scientifically as Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense', Clerodendrum ugandense and Rotheca myricoides. The currently accepted name according to the Royal Horticultural Society Plant Finder (which we use at UBC) is the first. Commonly, it is known as the blue glory bower (A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants), blue-flowered tinderwood, or my favourite, blue cat's whiskers. For a discussion of the name, see: Random Choices Newsletter via Random Harvest Indigenous Nursery in South Africa Photographs: Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense' photograph via Fairchild Tropical Garden - Botanical Resource Center Clerodendrum ugandense via Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens Also see: Clerodendrum ugandense as an indoor potted plant (includes propagation information) via the International Society for Horticultural Science
Thank you so much for your help! My mother owns this plant and she will be most happy to know what it is and how to propagate it more easily to share with friends and family.
Streptocarpella is a name sometimes used for the fleshy, small leafed group of Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae -- the African violet family), exemplified by the beautiful Streptocarpus saxorum. In the currently accepted Streptocarpus classification, this group is given subgenus rank. Without reference to scale, the Clerodendrum pictured could easily be mistaken for Streptocarpus saxorum -- blue bilaterally symetrical flowers and opposite leaves with revolute (rolled under) margins. However, a closer look at the image reveals a fundamentally different flower structure. Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense' has flowers with separate rounded petals and a prominent cluster of stamens that act as a landing platform for pollinating insects. Note the forked style (pollen-receptive structure) that overarches the flower. Streptocarpus have tubular flowers (the petals are fused for most of their length), the stamens and style are enclosed within the tube, and the lower lip of the flower acts as the pollinator landing platform.
I was given a cutting from a tree. The lady who had it said that it was cleredendron, Glory Horn Blower. It has blue flowers that I haven't seen yet b/c mine hasn't flowered yet. So is this Clerodendrum myricoides "Ugandense" ever grown as a tree or is it always a vine? Thanks, Rhonda.
I have a Clerodendrum ugandense for about 3 years now. Mine is about 4' tall, I cut it back in the spring when I bring it outside again. It winters in my very cool greenhouse and is beginning to bloom now. It will bloom until, probably late November in the greenhouse. I stuck some cuttings this spring, I'll se if they take. I live in Pa.
