Sapphire Showers duranta (photo by Allen Owings)

Golden dewdrop, pigeon berry and sky flower are common names for durantas.

The most common varieties of these plants have green foliage with light to medium-blue flowers. Bloom occurs early summer through early fall. Then small golden berries develop.

Durantas prefer full sun and are very drought tolerant and low maintenance in the landscape. Plants can be lightly pruned through the warm season to control size and growth as desired. Plants can reach 5 feet tall in an annual landscape and even larger in warm climates south of Interstate 10.

Durantas are recommended as a perennial in south Louisiana. They make great annuals elsewhere, although in some years they may behave as perennials in central and north Louisiana.

Sapphire Showers is a new blue-flowering variety. You may see green-and-white variegated foliaged Variegata and Silver Lining varieties. Lemon Drop has greenish-yellow foliage. You can also plant the dwarf, chartreuse-foliaged Cuban Gold or Gold Mound and the large, greenish-with-golden-yellow-foliaged Gold Edge.

Rick Bogren
Allen Owings