The Chinese Glory Bower (Clerodendrum chinense) is a shrubby, flowering species with a semi-herbaceous texture originating from Asia. Its branches are erect, semi-herbaceous in texture. The leaves are opposite, ovate to heart-shaped, large, pubescent, shiny, green, with well-defined veins and irregularly serrated edges.
It blooms in spring and summer, displaying terminal cymose inflorescences, like small and dense bouquets, similar to hydrangeas, gradually opening their flowers and releasing a delightful sweet and fruity fragrance. The flowers are protected by purplish bracts, providing a beautiful background for the bouquet. The corolla can be simple, but it’s more common to find specimens with double flowers, in white or delicately pink shades. They are attractive to bees and butterflies.
A fantastic fragrance from a rather spacious plant. The Chinese Glory Bower is an ideal plant for cultivation in confined areas, such as pots and planters, or in garden areas contained by walls or other structures. A plant, grown in an open area, tends to form large and dense masses over time, which sometimes escape control and invade other areas.
In addition to controlling its growth, it’s a hardy plant, requiring no special care. Also, avoid placing the plant in narrow passageways or areas exposed to wind, as its leaves release an unpleasant aroma when disturbed.
The Chinese Glory Bower should be cultivated in full sun or partial shade, in fertile, deep soil enriched with organic matter, and watered regularly. It prefers moist and semi-shaded areas, in tropical to subtropical climates.
It does not tolerate drought or frost and enters dormancy under intense cold, resprouting in the following spring. It can be propagated by cutting branches and separating the shoots that spontaneously emerge from the roots around the mother plant.
