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Rotheca myricoides |
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| Synonym(s) |
Clerodendrum ugandense |
| Common name |
blue butterfly |
| Family |
lamiaceae |
| Life cycle |
tender shrub (Z9-11)   |
| Flowers |
blue |
| Size |
10' |
| Light |
part shade |
| Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil, not too dry |
Evergreen shrub from east Africa that will grow quite tall but can be kept pruned to a more manageable size. Leaves are rounded; flower clusters are borne at the ends of branches, consisting of individual 1-inch flowers. The flowers are two-toned, with three pale blue lobes and one violet blue lobe; the overall shape gives rise to their common name. Flowers keep on coming throughout the summer and fall. Ours was severely damaged by a series of mild overnight freezes in December, and then by the whopper of a freeze in January – so I was happy to spot growth returning from the base in late February. Our plant proceeded to grow fast from that point, reaching greater heights than the previous year (as shown in photo below). I'm happy to report it likewise survived the even more severe freeze of February 2021, once again returning from the base even though I had made no efforts to protect the plant.
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| | Frost damage in December 2017 |
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| | New growth from the base, early March |
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| | Reaching nearly six feet tall in early July |
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| An exuberant mess of flowers in mid-September
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: left fence border About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Rotheca myricoides
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Beverly Howard | Apr 29, 2021 | I'm in Austin where it got colder than Houston but it is really interesting seeing the plants that survived for you. Blue Butterfly is an unexpected one. It has been fun finding all the survivors and sharing about them online.
I was surprised that you lost your Dalea greggi. Maybe the heavier soil in Houston did it in? I haven't had much success with it myself but we have heavy clay soil at our house and too much shade.
Yep, I was surprised at both of those myself. I had it in two places, and it didn't return in either. I may try again, if the John Fairey garden nursery still carries it when I make my way back there. |
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Last modified:
March 21, 2021
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