UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail:  dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu

April 7, 2005

Feature Article - for release the week of April 10, 2005

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent  

Shooting Star spreads color

Last week our office finished up our latest Master Gardener training class with a visit to a local garden center.  Our volunteers went there to learn what the kinds of plants are available for Florida yards.

One of the plants stumped me.  We found out that it is a flowering shrub known as Shooting Star.  It is one of the few late winter flowering shrubs that is very easy to grow, and is the subject of this week’s column.

Shooting Star or Starburst is one of the many species of Clerodendrons that have found their way from tropical climates to our Florida Yards.  Some of the specimens we saw in the nursery were trained to from a single stalked “standard” that was 6 feet tall, but more often, this plant is seen as a multi-stemmed bush that can grow to 8 to 15 feet tall.

Enthusiasts of Clerodendron quadriloculare, as it is known to nursery growers, suggest that its dark green foliage with purple colored undersides is reason enough to add this to tropical landscapes.  But most landscape enthusiasts would choose this plant because of the large number of flower ball clusters that cover this accent plant from late winter through the spring.

While there are hundreds of Clerodendron species that have been used in Florida Yards for many years, how this plant will respond to local conditions is still under investigation. What I’ve found is that this plant grows very quickly, reaching 6-8 feet in height from a three foot tall plant in only one growing season.  

Starburst seems to do better in full sun than in shade, and will need adequate water to get it established.  It has a wide tolerance to soil pH, and responds well to fertilizers. Salt tolerance is unknown; one author reports that is has poor salt tolerance. Once established, it will survive hot, dry weather with no problem.

Clusters of white to pink colored flowers appear in late winter.  They grow in round clusters measuring 6-12 inches in diameter, and resemble a shooting star or a burst of fireworks.  As they first emerge but before they open, they look like a “Q-tip” – which is what some folks call this plant. 

After flowers fade, the large dark green and purple leaves of this Clerodendron can provide a backdrop for other shorter but colorful plants, such as snowbush, plumbago, or crotons. Cutting back the plant after flowering, and again in the late summer, will give it a fuller appearance.  Trimming in the late fall or winter may reduce the number of flower clusters produced in the following winter.  Frost apparently will also trim back the flowering habit of this plant.

There is an apparent drawback to this plant, and it has resulted in it having a negative reputation in certain tropical island nations in the Pacific.  Shooting Star has a suckering habit, which can result in it spreading into natural areas in tropical climates.  In our area, the best guess is that freezes may keep it from invading our natural areas, but careful monitoring of this plant is urged to make sure it does not escape the landscape. 

County Extension Director Pat Miller has had one in his Okeechobee yard for about five years, and if he had to do it again, he would plant it as a single specimen rather than part of a landscape bed.  This would allow access from all sides, and make it easier to mow down any wayward suckers or seedlings that appear under the canopy of this plant.

There are a few references to named cultivars of Shooting star. 'Sallye Jude' is produced at Morningside Nursery in Palm Beach. “Jewels of the Nile” and "Bardonii", a variegated variety, are cultivars found in its native Philippines.  Another one to look for was released by Morningstar nursery this spring.  This plant patented variety is called Dwarf Purple leaf  'Morningstar', and only grows to about 6 feet. The leaves are smaller and distinctly ruffled, but produce more flower heads per plant.  It appears to be less aggressive.  It can be maintained as a pruned shrub or hedge without detracting from its performance

Another alternative way to use this plant is what Dee Stuart suggests: growing it as a standard, where all suckers are removed and a single trunk is formed to make the Shooting Star think it is a small tree.  It may also be kept in a container for use as a patio plant, and this would help keep wayward suckers from spreading.

I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page,  http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.  If you need additional information on the Shooting Star, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners on from 1 to 5 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  

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Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean Last update: 04/11/2005 .  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert 

references

Brickell, Christopher and Cathey H. Marc, eds.  The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants October 2004.  On-line reference to this plant listed on FloridaGardener.com:  http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/shootingstar.htm

Crawford, Pam  Starburst or Shooting Star. in: Easy Gardens for South Florida (Vol.1) Lake Worth: Color Garden Inc. 2003, pp136-37

Florida Nursery Growers and Landscaper's Association.  Clerondendrum 'Morningstar'PPAF (TPIE New Plants),  January 2005.

Reed, Evan.   Clerodendrum quadriloculare Starburst  In: Ann's Tropical Plants & Garden Decor website.   Miami : © 2004.  http://annstropics.com/Descriptions/Clerodendrum_quadriloculare.html

Space, Jim.  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) Clerodendrum quadriloculare  Honolulu: 4 JAN 2004 

Sympson, Ron  The Florida Garden.com Archives , April 2004  and March 04, part 1. http://www.ronsympson.com/

Photo courtesy: McKee Botanical Garden, Vero Beach