Clerodendrum floribundum
lolly bush
Overview
Clerodendrum floribundum is an evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 6-26 feet (2-8 m) tall and 5-13 feet (1.5-4 m) wide, with single or multiple trunks and a rounded, open crown. The leaves are opposite, oval to elliptic, 3-7 inches (8-18 cm) long, glossy dark green, with a smooth surface and a pointed tip. White tubular flowers about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, with five spreading lobes and long protruding stamens, open in branched clusters at the branch tips, mainly in spring and summer, and are fragrant. The flowers are followed by shiny black berries about 0.3 inch (8 mm) across that sit on a fleshy, star-shaped red calyx, giving the fruiting heads a red-and-black look. Growth is moderate to fast, and plants sucker from the roots to form thickets. Suckering can spread the plant beyond its planting space. The berries and red calyx persist for weeks after the fruit colours.
Native Range
Native to northern and eastern Australia, from Western Australia across the Northern Territory to Queensland and New South Wales. Grows in open forest, woodland, monsoon vine thicket, and along watercourses on a range of soils, from the tropics to warm temperate areas.Suggested Uses
Planted as a screen, informal hedge, or small specimen in warm-climate native and bird gardens, spaced 5-10 feet (1.5-3 m) apart. Grown for its fragrant flowers and red-and-black fruit, which draw fruit-eating birds. The suckering habit makes it less suited to small or formal beds.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6' - 26'
Width/Spread5' - 13'
Reaches mature size in approximately 5 years
Bloom Information
Flowers mainly in spring and summer, with the heaviest display in the warm, wet months. Individual flower clusters last 2-3 weeks, and a plant can flower over 6-10 weeks. Flowering and fruiting overlap, so flowers and red-and-black fruit can appear together.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
glossy dark greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun to part shade on most well-drained soils, tolerating both sandy and clay ground. Water through the first one to two seasons to establish, after which plants tolerate seasonal drought. Plants are frost-tender and are cut back by frost in cool areas, reshooting from the base in spring. Root suckers can come up several feet from the parent and form thickets, so the plant can spread in garden beds. The species is hardy to about 28°F (-2°C) once established. Caterpillars and leaf beetles may chew the foliage in summer.Pruning
Cut back hard in late winter to control size and remove frost-damaged stems, as plants reshoot strongly from old wood and the base. Root suckers are removed as they appear to limit spread. Light tip-pruning shapes young plants.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winter