14 Jan Pigeon berry, Golden dewdrop
Duranta erecta cultivars
This new vogue plant to the Sydney region has become naturalised in some areas. It requires active management in all gardens.
Origin: West Indies, Central and South America
Habit: A straggly evergreen shrub 1-5m high with drooping branches and sharp spines.
Leaves: The ovate leaves are 2.5-7.6 cm long and arranged on the stem in pairs opposite each other, or in whorls of three.
Flowers: Showy inflorescences bloom almost all year long in terminal or lateral racemes up to 15cm long. The individual flowers are tubular with five petals, white, light blue, violet or purple, and spread out at the mouth about 1cm across.
Fruit: Spherical yellow berry to 1.5cm in diameter borne in showy hanging bunches.
Roots: Substantial tap and lateral root system.
Dispersal: Seed spread by water, animals (mainly birds), humans, contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden refuse dumping.
Control: Hand pull/dig. Cut and Paint or Scrape and Paint, foliar spray.