Starburst Clerodendrum, Shooting Star Clerodendrum

Clerodendrum quadriculare (Blanco) Merrill

cler-oh-DEN-drum quad-rick-u-LAIR-ee

Verbenaceae

Explanation of name: Clerodendrum is Greek for tree and chance.

Quadriculare means four-angled (presumably in reference to the four-parted fruit).

Natural range: Old World Tropics

Recognition: Multi-trunked shrub or tree with distinctive leaf blades: upper green,
bottom purple, opposite, simple and strongly veined. Flowers 8-11 cm long, tubular,
pinkish or purplish below, white distally, in large showy ―starburst‖ pompom clusters.
Fruit a 4-lobed drupe. Slightly similar to the invasive exotic Clerodendrum indicum (L.)
458 Kuntze in that both species have long-tubular mainly white flowers. Clerodendrum
indicum has whorled (vs. opposite) leaves and flowers in elongate thyrses (vs. pompoms).
This species has distinctive fruits where the calyx expands into a red star with blue-black
fruits seated in the middle of the star. See comparison of C. indicum with C. minahassae
above.

Landscape uses: Specimen and massing shrub or small tree with broad tolerances,

needing little care (running rampant) even when semi-neglected. Extremely fast-growing.

Suckers (and seeds?) freely and aggressively to the point of nuisance. Can be grown as a

standard. Easily propagated from cuttings or seeds.

Cultivars include: ‘Variegata‘, ‘Brandonii‘ and ‘Morningstar‘

Internet sources: http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/shootingstar.htm

http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News columns/Shooting Star.htm