Редкое вечнозеленое растение Duranta erecta «Gold Edge» поразило садовода необычной листвой и колючими стеблями

Discover the Duranta erecta “Gold Edge” plant, a perennial with stunning foliage and thorny stems. Toxic berries are a concern, but its beauty makes it a favourite. David Hobson is a Waterloo-based writer and a freelance contributor for the Record. Email: [email protected]. I thought Duranta erecta “Gold Edge” was just another small annual when I scooped it from my local garden centre back in 2019. It wasn’t supposed to last but, when I learned it was a perennial, I kept it indoors over winter and it has become one of my favourite plants. I don’t get around to every nursery or garden centre, but I haven’t seen anything of duranta since I first found mine. “Gold Edge” is one of a number of cultivars with gold in the name, but it’s the only one I’ve seen. Since it was sold as an annual plant, I dare say most withered away when winter showed up. That little annual is now a small shrub in a pot I can’t quite lift — and those are getting smaller. In winter, I keep it in the cool and dark of the garage and haul it out again in spring. It’s grown to about waist height and I do prune it to shape and size. I’m in no rush to repot it because the current one constrains the growth, which is just as well; in Central America, it grows as a sprawling shrub or small tree that can reach the height of a residential street light. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW For those curious about the name, it honours Castore Durante who was a botanist and Papal physician in 16th-century Rome. Most will have figured out the species reference. Other names are golden dewdrop, pigeon berry or sky flower. What makes this plant attractive is the foliage. The leaves are designer level, green with uneven, chartreuse-yellow margins. It is a cultivar — a cultivated variety, and in the wild the leaves would be generally green. Even my plant gets a few stems that revert to plain green. What is missing are the flowers and subsequent berries. It’s supposed to have drooping clusters of light blue to violet flowers that bloom from summer to fall on gently arching branches, followed by yellowy orange, cherrylike berries, but I’d probably have to travel to Guatemala to see them, or at least Key West. Seven years now and not a hint of a flower bud. I never expected it to flower, and it would be nice if it did, but the foliage alone is enough. That’s just as well because the berries and leaves are toxic, although birds eat the berries without falling from the tree. Maybe that’s why it’s apparently not as available as it was; however, plenty of other garden plants can be poisonous if eaten, especially any with berries. That’s a concern to anyone with children or pets, so it’s just as well mine hasn’t produced them. Fortunately, reports of any documented cases of poisoning of people are sparse. That’s the same for many plants that have the potential to poison, and some are labelled as toxic, but it’s always good to know what you’re sticking in your garden. Duranta isn’t completely harmless because what it is does produce are thorny stems. I never saw or felt any the first few years, but I have discovered that the thorns do appear as the plant matures. Duranta grows well in full sun and it needs little care other than watering and an occasional dash of fertilizer. It’s definitely one of my favourites, but I should never have hugged it. Opinion articles are based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details DH David Hobson is a Waterloo-based writer and a freelance contributor for the Record. Email: [email protected]. Your gift purchase was successful!Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. You will also start receiving the Niagara Falls Review's free morning newsletter soon.