Variegated Sky Flower Duranta erecta 'Variegata' Height: 20 feet Spread: 10 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 8b Other Names: Golden Dewdrop, Pigeon Berry Description: A beautiful, fast growing shrub producing clusters of showy violet-blue flowers over lovely green and white variegated foliage; showy flowers and golden fruit makes this a noticeable garden accent Ornamental Features Variegated Sky Flower features showy clusters of violet flowers with blue overtones and white edges at the ends of the branches in mid summer. It has attractive white-variegated green foliage which emerges yellow in spring. The serrated pointy leaves are highly ornamental and remain green throughout the winter. It features an abundance of magnificent orange berries in late summer. Landscape Attributes Variegated Sky Flower is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. 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. Variegated Sky Flower is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Variegated Sky Flower will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast 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. Variegated Sky Flower makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants 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.
