How To Coax A Neglected Duranta Into Full Bloom In 2 Months!

You may have not ever considered How To Coax A Neglected Duranta Into Full Bloom In 2 Months, though if you are a container garden or garden enthusiast, then maybe your ears are perking up a bit? I had never heard of Duranta, but this is now one of the pots in my container garden that gives me great joy daily, on account of its delicate and unique purple blooms that are just so very lovely!

A dear neighbor who had lost her husband the previous Succot, suddenly and secretively moved away right after Passover, leaving all her plants with no one to tend to them, so of course I swooped in and rescued what I could, and this past summer was filled with quite a bit of plant care! This Duranta was living in a small pot in a courtyard with very little sun, and virtually no leaves, so I planted it in the main container bed at the front of the house to give it some sun, but realized that it needed way too much water for me to care for from afar, so I moved it once again, replanted it, placed in a spot with partial sun, and voila, from bare branches to flowering success!

Truly lovely, and since the weather here in Northern Israel has yet to become cold, I even, to my delight, see that there are a few new shoots on one of the bare trunks which is just great, since the plant needs filling out.

I won’t go into Duranta care here, but rather let this post serve as an introduction and some encouragement when it comes to rescuing plants from neighbors! If I had not looked up this plant (with the one bloom it had) and seen that it could be something special I likely would not have spent so much effort, and so very very glad that I did! Duranta is a woody bush, but is also grown as a standard, and in some areas of the world the branches are weighted down to encourage a weeping look that works well with the clusters of flowers that in any case droop.

This plant has two trunks, so making it into a standard is not really in the cards, so will just see how it grows, now that it has a loving attentive owner!

And since the pot is not all that heavy and is right next to my front door, I will be taking this plant indoors, or at the least under my porch roof if the temperatures dip below 40F, or if it turns out to be a very rainy year (hopefully!)

Ah yes, and then there are the decisions to be make regarding winter pruning which apparently is a very good idea with Duranta. Wish me luck and put Duranta on your list of possible purchases!