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Botanical name: Duranta erecta ‘Sapphire Showers’
A beautiful large shrub or small tree producing clusters of showy violet-blue flowers with dazzling white petal edges; can be maintained as a small accent tree; showy flowers and fruit makes this a noticeable addition to the landscape.
Other names: Picotee Sky Flower, Golden Dew Drop, Pigeon Berry
| Hardiness zone | 8b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | violet |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 20 feet |
| Spread | 20 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | North American native |
Sapphire Showers Duranta features showy clusters of violet flowers with blue overtones and white edges at the ends of the branches in mid summer. It has dark green foliage. The serrated pointy leaves remain dark green throughout the winter. It produces orange berries in late summer.
Sapphire Showers Duranta is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Sapphire Showers Duranta is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Sapphire Showers Duranta will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.
Sapphire Showers Duranta makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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