Common Name: Sky Flower

General Information

Duranta erecta is a usually thorny, evergreen shrub or small tree, sometimes with a weeping habit; it usually grows around 4 - 6 metres tall, though pot-grown plants are more likely to be around 1.2 metres[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and insect repellent. It is widely grown as an ornamental in the subtropical and tropical zones, there are some named varieties[].
Commonly grown as an ornamental, the plant has often escaped from cultivation and become naturalized as a weed. It is considered to be invasive in many Pacific Islands[].

Known Hazards

Children who have eaten the fruits have been reported as becoming ill and subsequently dying[].
The plant is suspected of being poisonous to pigs[].

Botanical References

Range

Subtropical and tropical America - Argentina and Uruguay north through Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to southern N. America from California to Florida

Habitat

Dry to moist disturbed areas. Common along roadsides and in thickets; at elevations from 150 - 1,650 metres[]. In thickets, secondary forest, hedges, along roadsides, at elevations from 500 - 2,600 metres in Guatemala[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Duranta erecta has a very wide native range, from the subtropics of southern South America, right through tropical America to the subtropics of southern N. America. It is not tolerant of frost[].
Prefers a position in full sun, growing well in a moist, fertile, well-drained soil[].
The plant can be grown as an annual in areas where it is not winter-hardy[]. It is also sometimes grown as a winter houseplant, growing it in pots which are left outdoors during the warm weather but brought back indoors before the frosts return[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is used in the treatment of fevers, skin itches[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is amenable to trimming and is often grown as a hedge[, , ]. It is traditionally grown in living fences in the northwestern Himalayas, where it helps to exclude livestock and other animals; mark out land boundaries; whilst also providing a range of medicinal and other uses[].

Other Uses

The plant is used as an insect repellant[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of less than 20% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 90 - 110 days[].

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