Clerodendrum

Deliciousum


I love growing plants from the clerodendrum family. There are many varieties and the ones I've been luck enough to run across are all beautiful, not only in leaf but also in flower. Clerodendrum deliciosum, also known by the names Glory Bower or Bleeding Heart vine, orginates from South American jungles, where it grows into a giant mass of twining vines without tendrils, running along the ground, producing shoots from the roots to help it spread.

Even though Clerodendrum deliciousum has this somewhat invasive habit, it is easily controllable. A light frost will knock it back, but not kill it, and in spring the leaves and flowers will return with vigor.

We bought two three gallon sized planters of it about 5 years ago. Today they have covered a five foot fence to the top and spilled over, and each are about 8 feet wide. The bushes are very full, standing away from the fence about 3 feet. This makes an excellent area for bunnies, lizards, garden snakes and other animals to hide and nest in.

Bleeding Heart vine is a spring through fall bloomer if you feed it well. I give mine time release fertilizer spikes in spring and summer. The plants like water too, and will grow bigger and put out more blooms if you have it on a regular routine of watering.

Clerodendrum deliciousum does best in dappled sunlight. If you have an area where the plant can receive morning sun and protection from the strongest afternoon sun, you should have success with it.

If planting in the ground, and you live in South Florida, where the soil is actually sand, add some soil amendments like compost, pine bark nuggets (sold here as mulch) a bit of peat to help it get going. Mix these in with the sandy soil so the plant sits in the blend at first. After it gets established it will be strong enough to deal with the sand and low organic content that is standard down here.

Glorybower is easy to grow from stem cuttings. You can also dig up one of the shallow roots and pot this up. After your Glorybower matures, these underground runners will send up tiny plants. Just cut a foot or so back from the tiny plant, and in front of it the same, and you have another Glorybower to give to friends or family.

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