Cuban Gold duranta (golden dewdrop) and Louisiana Red copper plants at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station.. (Photo by Allen Owings)

You can find many durantas (golden dewdrop, blue sky flower) around, but the Cuban Gold variety continues to receive extensive use and attention around the Southeast.

Cuban Gold plants prefer full sun and provide a constant chartreuse foliage color. Plants are low-growing, reaching 18-24 inches tall in the landscape by fall.

They are recommended as perennials in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 but make great annuals in areas north of hardiness zone 9. Regrowth will occur in hardiness zone 8, but the new growth is slow in the spring.

This plant performs great in LSU AgCenter trials. We use it to frame landscape color beds in the sun garden at the Hammond Research Station.

Other duranta varieties recommended for Louisiana include the larger-growing Variegated, Alba, Gold Edge, Sapphire Showers and Silver Lining, along with the smaller-growing Lemon Drop.

Allen Owings
Rick Bogren