Growing Clerodendrum (Glory Bower)

Pronunciation: klare-oh-den'-drum

Grow in full sun or partial shade and well drained soil. In Zone 6 (-10 degrees F), plants may be killed back to the ground in the winter. Prune away the deadwood in spring, and they will bounce back and bloom by late summer. In the South and mild-winter areas of the West, Clerodendrum can be trained to a single trunk ( which requires prompt and frequent removal of suckers- shoots arising near the base of the trunk) or left to grow as a multistemmed shrub. In either case, it should be cut back to just 6 feet in height on an annual basis in late winter or early spring to keep it from becoming leggy. Plants flower on the current season's growth.