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Annie in Austin
Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.
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Showing posts with label It's About Thyme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label It's About Thyme. Show all posts

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Blue Butterfly Bush Clerodendrum ugandense

Can there be too much blue in the garden? Not in my opinion, so this Blue Butterfly bush is one of my favorite plants, no matter what you call it...in addition to Clerodendrum ugandense the botanical name Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense' shows up as a synonym, along with Clerodendrum myricoides.Annieinaustin,2010,July, Blue Clerodendron
These delicate-looking blue flowers have graced many a Garden Blogger Bloom Day since 2008 but my plant barely survived last winter when our temperatures dropped to 13°F. It took months before one tiny sprout reappeared from the dead sticks at the base so while it was still on the "Dead-or-Dormant List" I searched local nurseries for a second plant with no luck. My friend Sophia from the Divas of the Dirt checked out Houston nurseries but also came home empty-handed.

Then my garden blogger friend Robin from Getting Grounded found a beauty for me at It's About Thyme. The new plant is blooming in a patio container and how I love those blue flowers!
Annieinaustin, 2010, Clerodendrum ugandense at nightThe original plant (a Passalong Plant from Sophia) has sun for a good part of the day with a little shade when the vines fill in the nearby obelisk. I've added compost and do have to water it, but not excessively. Right now the new plant looks happy in its patio container next to the Pineapple Sage, but it was already nearly 3-feet tall when Robin bought it and it will need repotting soon.Annieinaustin, 2010,7,Pineapple sage with Blue clerodendron
My plan is to bring it inside during cold snaps ... either into the garage or near the window in the breakfast room. Maybe that way instead of putting all its energy into survival and regrowth after winter, it can just concentrate on being beautiful!