# Duranta (Duranta erecta)

Canonical: https://plantguide.ae/plants/duranta · Updated: 2026-10-05
Source: Ghaf Gardens (https://plantguide.ae/plants/duranta)

Duranta · also called Golden dewdrop, Pigeon berry, Sky flower  
shrub · exotic · family Verbenaceae · grows 1.5–4 m tall, 1.5–3 m wide · fast growth  
full sun · moderate water need  
Ratings for Dubai (1–5, 5 is best): heat 4 · salt 2 · drought 3 · shade 3 · ease of care 4  
Sow or plant: Oct–Mar  
Uses: hedge, screen, container  
Garden styles: manicured, tropical

A fast, arching evergreen hedge shrub that carries lilac-blue flower sprays and golden berries together; the berries are poisonous, and it dislikes salty water.

## About

Meet duranta, a shrub that runs two colour schemes on the same branch. The flowers hang in long, loose sprays of small lilac-blue trumpets, sometimes edged in white, and as they finish they give way to bunches of golden-yellow berries that look like strings of beads. A flowering hedge normally shows one colour at a time, so a duranta in full flush, blue above and gold below, has a layered, almost embroidered quality that few other Dubai hedges manage.

It is also a quick, obliging builder of green. The branches arch and droop with a softness that clipped hedges rarely have, and it fills a boundary or a screen within a season or two. The cost is that its berries are poisonous to people, which matters in any garden where small children will find bright fruit at hand height, and that it does not take salty water well. Where those two points are respected, it is one of the friendliest flowering shrubs for a tall, informal hedge.

Duranta erecta, also sold as Duranta repens and known as golden dewdrop, pigeon berry or sky flower, is an evergreen shrub from tropical America that arches into a loose, fountain-like form. In a Dubai garden it works as a tall flowering hedge, a screen or a large specimen, with golden-leaved selections and a compact dwarf called 'Gold Mound' used for brighter foliage and lower borders. The RHS lists it as a plant for pollinators, and growers in Florida note that butterflies and carpenter bees visit the flowers.

The flowers are small, tubular and violet, blue or white, held in drooping sprays about 15 cm long. University of Florida places the main bloom from spring through autumn, and the sprays form at the tips of fresh growth, so a hard cut-back in late winter renews the plant rather than costing the season. Bright yellow-orange berries follow, which birds eat without harm. The same berries are poisonous to humans, and some stems carry spines, so duranta belongs away from play areas and low paths. Its flexible, drooping habit also means a hedge left to arch looks relaxed and generous, whereas one sheared flat looks stiff and flowers far less.

Two more limits shape where it goes. It is rated as not salt tolerant by University of Florida extension, which matters in Dubai villas that use borehole or saline irrigation water, and it is susceptible to root-knot nematodes, so the roots of nursery plants are worth checking for knots before planting. Used where the water is clean and the clipping is light, it gives a soft, flowering edge to a garden that clipped hedges cannot.

## Through the year

Duranta stays evergreen in Dubai, with arching branches that look their softest when left unclipped. Flower sprays form at the tips of new growth from spring through autumn, and golden berries hang beneath them as the flowers finish, so a healthy shrub can carry both together for much of the warm season. A hard cut-back in February or March renews the framework and brings a flush of fresh growth within weeks. In winter growth slows, leaving a quiet, dense green shape that is easy to trim into a tidy line.

| When | What | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Oct–Mar | Plant: Best planting window | Plant in the cool season, checking the roots of nursery plants for knots caused by nematodes. |
| Feb–Mar, Oct | Prune: Shape and renew | A cut-back in late winter renews the framework; light trims keep a hedge in line, though tight clipping removes flowers. |
| Mar–Nov | Flowers: Lilac-blue flower sprays | University of Florida places bloom from spring through autumn; the exact peak in Dubai varies with pruning and heat. |
| Jul–Nov | Fruit: Golden berries follow the flowers | The berries are poisonous to people; birds eat them without harm. |
| Mar, Sep | Feed: Balanced slow-release feed | Supports steady flowering through the growing season. |

## Care in Dubai

- **Watering in summer:** Regular deep watering keeps flowering and growth steady through the heat; a plant that dries out too often flowers thinly and drops leaf.
- **Watering in winter:** Reduce frequency as growth slows, keeping the soil from drying out completely.
- **While establishing:** Water deeply and regularly until the roots are established, then taper off gradually.
- **Soil:** Well-drained soil in full sun; improve sandy Dubai soil with organic matter at planting and use clean, non-saline irrigation water.
- **Feeding:** A balanced slow-release feed in spring and early autumn supports continuous flowering; avoid over-feeding, which favours leafy growth.
- **Pruning:** Cut back hard in late winter to renew the framework, then trim lightly to shape. Tight, formal clipping removes the flower sprays, so leave a hedge a little loose if bloom matters.
- **Planting:** Plant October to March in full sun, about 60 to 90 cm apart for a hedge. Check the roots of nursery plants for the swellings caused by root-knot nematodes before planting.
- **Pests and problems:** Root-knot nematodes (check the roots of nursery plants at planting)
- **Toxicity:** The golden berries are poisonous to people and are reported to be poisonous to children and pets; birds can eat them without harm. University of Florida also notes that golden dewdrop is slightly allergenic, and some stems carry spines.

## Good and bad

**Pros**
- Lilac-blue flower sprays followed by golden berries give two colours at once
- Fast growing, filling a hedge or screen within a season or two
- Takes pruning well and can be kept as a hedge of almost any height
- Attracts butterflies and other pollinators; listed by the RHS as a plant for pollinators

**Cons**
- Berries are poisonous to people, a real concern around small children
- Not salt tolerant, so saline irrigation water causes problems
- Stems can carry spines, and tight clipping removes most of the flowers
- Susceptible to root-knot nematodes, which cause dieback

## Common mistakes

- Planting it beside a play area or a path that small children use. The berries are poisonous and look like fruit, so site it where they cannot be reached or trim off berries before they ripen.
- Clipping it into a tight, flat hedge and wondering why it never flowers. The flower sprays form at the tips of new growth, which shears remove.
- Using borehole or saline irrigation water on it. It is not salt tolerant, and leaf scorch and dieback follow.
- Planting nursery stock without checking the roots. Root-knot nematodes show as swellings and cause dieback, wilting and thinning later.

## Good to know

- The plant is sold as both Duranta erecta and Duranta repens; both names refer to the same species, and nurseries often use them interchangeably.
- University of Florida's assessment currently predicts that golden dewdrop could become invasive in Florida and does not recommend it. It is unfinished, and the concern relates to birds spreading seed in a wet subtropical climate, not a documented problem in Dubai.
- The dwarf selection 'Gold Mound', with golden foliage, stays low, around 75 cm tall in University of Florida's description, and works as a border or container plant where the full-size shrub would be too large.
- The RHS lists golden dewdrop as a plant for pollinators, and growers in Florida report butterflies and carpenter bees visiting the flowers.

## Using it in a garden

Roles: Tall flowering hedge, Informal screen, Large specimen, Pollinator planting

Use duranta where its arching, unclipped shape has room, such as along a boundary, behind a lower border, or as the soft edge of a lawn, and where children cannot reach the berries easily. Full sun gives the best flowering, and a hedge kept loose will flower far more than one sheared flat. Keep it away from borehole or saline irrigation lines, and give it its own zone or one shared with similar moderate-water shrubs.

- [Bougainvillea](https://plantguide.ae/plants/bougainvillea.md): Bougainvillea's magenta or orange bracts against duranta's lilac and gold is a vivid, warm-and-cool combination, and both handle full sun.
- [Ixora](https://plantguide.ae/plants/ixora.md): Compact ixora in red or orange gives a low, bright layer in front of the taller, arching duranta, with similar moderate water needs.
- [Hibiscus](https://plantguide.ae/plants/hibiscus.md): Both respond well to cutting back and suit a well-watered, fertile bed, so a mixed flowering hedge of the two is easy to irrigate and shape.

## FAQ

**Are duranta berries poisonous?**  
Yes. University of Florida states that the fruits of golden dewdrop are poisonous to humans, and Florida extension notes that the berries are poisonous to children and pets, although birds eat them safely. Keep it away from play areas, and remove berries if small children can reach them.

**Why is my duranta hedge not flowering?**  
Usually because it has been clipped too tightly. The flower sprays form at the tips of the new growth, so repeated shearing removes the buds. Let the hedge grow a little looser, cut back hard once in late winter, and feed in spring and early autumn.

**Does duranta tolerate salty irrigation water?**  
No. University of Florida extension describes it as not salt tolerant. If your garden uses borehole or other saline water, choose a more tolerant hedge such as [Sea Jasmine](https://plantguide.ae/plants/sea-jasmine.md) or [Natal Plum](https://plantguide.ae/plants/natal-plum.md).

**How big does duranta get in Dubai?**  
Full-size plants can reach about 4 m and are easily held at 1.5 to 2.5 m as a hedge with regular trimming. Dwarf selections such as 'Gold Mound' stay far lower.

**Does it attract wildlife?**  
Yes. Birds eat the berries, and butterflies and carpenter bees visit the flowers. The RHS includes golden dewdrop among its plants for pollinators.

## Related plants

[Plumbago](https://plantguide.ae/plants/plumbago.md) · [Ixora](https://plantguide.ae/plants/ixora.md) · [Hibiscus](https://plantguide.ae/plants/hibiscus.md) · [Bougainvillea](https://plantguide.ae/plants/bougainvillea.md) · [Ficus Nitida](https://plantguide.ae/plants/ficus-nitida.md)

## Photos

![Duranta erecta ‘Sapphire Showers’. Common names: golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and Picotee sky flower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Golden_Dewdrop_%28Duranta_erecta%29.jpg)  
Photo: Mokkie / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Dewdrop_(Duranta_erecta).jpg))

![Duranta erecta (habit). Location: Maui, Kahana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Starr_070221-4825_Duranta_erecta.jpg)  
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_070221-4825_Duranta_erecta.jpg))

![Serres du Jardin du Luxembourg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Duranta_erecta_serres_du_Luxembourg.jpg)  
Photo: Dinkum / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duranta_erecta_serres_du_Luxembourg.jpg))

![Plant specimen in the Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming, Yunnan, China.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Duranta_erecta_-_Kunming_Botanical_Garden_-_DSC03021.JPG)  
Photo: Daderot / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duranta_erecta_-_Kunming_Botanical_Garden_-_DSC03021.JPG))

## Sources

- [UF/IFAS EDIS: Duranta erecta, Golden Dewdrop](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR327)
- [UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County: My favorite golden dewdrop](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/charlotteco/2017/09/06/favorite-golden-dewdrop/)
- [UF/IFAS Assessment of the Status of Non-Native Plants in Florida: Duranta erecta](https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/assessments/duranta-erecta)
- [Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder: Duranta erecta](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287483)
- [RHS: Duranta erecta](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/56731/duranta-erecta/details)