Starburst Bush, Shooting Star (Clerodendrum quadriloculare)

Starburst Bush, Shooting Star
Clerodendrum quadriloculare

The undersides of the leaves are purple. Photo courtesy of TopTropicals.com.

Have always loved Clerodendrons but never 'met' this one until our Florida trip in November. It is a spectacular plant with or without flowers. Thanks for sharing htop.

Yes..it is lovely as stated.. even without flowering... I've had one for about 10 years... it's grown to a 5' tall bush.. great green leaves on the top side and deep purple on the reverse..
That said ... mine has yet to flower.. although it is a lovely full healthy plant.. it's a tropical and in Brooklyn I have to winter it inside... I hear it's sencitive to the decreased photoperiod of the winter to trigger flowering... bringing it inside the house only increaes the photo period as I often have lights on from morning to late into the evening.. provideing actually a longer photoperiod..
This year I've tried to address this aspect of it's life in an attempt to get it flowering... and have moved it into the hallway under the skylight and plant light during the day... but remembering to shut the light down n the early evening.. makeing the hall darker is something I don't allways remember to do.. and sometimes aren't around to remember to do.. so this year there are still no flowers .YET .... which I assume is due to the few days where I've forgotten and left the light on all evening long.. eraseing this sometimes photo period drop of the days I remember ... It is such a lovely leaffey plant with the two leaf colors evident... so I'll keep trying..
Pictured with some of the overwinterng tropicals in the hallway.. the overflow from thoes inside the house.. a banana.. passion vine and others.. Many of the tropicals I'll try and get in a dormant state for overwintering... but one of each I like to keep alive incase they don't go dormant and also return... kind of a living backup..
does anyone in other than tropical conditions get it to flower in the winter inside...
Thanks ,
Gordon

Warning! Warning!! This spectacular plant has invaded my garden, the empty lot next door, and is heading for my neighbor's. I planted one three or four years ago, and while it is truly the centerpiece of my Florida garden, it is a nightmare to control. So far there have been 11 shrubs suckering off the roots, and I don't mean right next to the mother plant. The roots are large, tough, and close to the surface and are everywhere, making planting anything else a problem. It generally requires an ax. If you have a warm-climate garden, plant this shrub in a pot in the ground to control the roots! But it's worth the effort..mine is 12' tall, looks great all year, but when it blooms it's a showstopper. I wouldn't garden without it, but I sure wish I'd been warned.

Happy gardening,
Mary Ann

rcn48, you are quite welcome. I have never seen this one in person, but it is a spectacular looking plant so I thiught I would share it.

Gordon, thanks for the information. It must be a real challenge growing tropicals there. Thanks for sharing your plants with us by photo.

Mary Ann, thanks for the warning. My Clerodendrum bungei I have to keep in a large container because of the same problem. My neighbor planted his in the ground although I had warned him about suckers taking over his yard. Now he has them all over the place.

htop, it is indeed a spectacular plant - the contrast between the deep green leaves with purple undersides is incredible. Mary Ann, now I understand why I saw it everywhere when I was in Naples last November. Sounds like it is truly a thug similar to its cousin, Clerodendron bungei. We have C. bungei in our gardens, and fortunately it is planted in an area where, although it has spread, it's easy enough to pull up the suckers and just keep what we want to grow there.