This was growing in the flower bed when I purchased the house and my wife and I have not been able to identify the plant. It grows very quickly and we cut it back often. Does anyone know what this is? Thanks.
evergreen? does it need support? wet or dry fruit/seed? muliple seeds per fruit? capsule? i was hoping some of the other forum users would recognize your plant from the photo, because with those showy flowers, it looks like a 'desirable' cultivar.
Yes, it is evergreen. My wife says it frequently needs support, but she tends to cut it back as the stems tend to flop over. Neither of us can answer you question regarding seeds. If you can give us a hint we'll go look at the plant.
It certainly is a beautiful plant. To me it looks like it has a lot of very vinca-like attributes, especially the shape and form of the flowers and flower buds. I have never seen one with that growth habit or with leaves that delicate though.
The plant is probablyDuranta erecta 'Sapphire Showers'. See this page from the University of Georgia Trial Garden. A member of the vervain family (Verbenaceae), the species is native from Florida to Brazil. It is known as the forget-me-not tree because its flowers are reminiscent of forget-me-nots (Myosotis spp.). The flowers are followed by small, poisonous (!) orange fruits, which give the plant its other common names, golden dewdrops and pidgeon berry. The species is now naturalized in some of the southern United States and is considered an invasive on many tropical islands including Hawaii. See this link to the USDA Natural resources Conservation service. You don't mention fruit forming on your plant--is this because you cut off the old flower stalks, or does it just not produce them? This is an important issue, considering its invasive potential. Nice picture!
more info http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?region_id=2&plant_id=2568&page= i wonder if the plant needs excessive irrigation when full size...
