Clerodendrum chinense

Common Name: stickbush

Family: Lamiaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 9b-11

Growth Habit: Shrub

Origin: Asia

FISC Category: -

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida specimen vouchered in 1965

IFAS Assessment:

• North: OK
• Central: CAUTION
• South: CAUTION

Description

Shrubs up to 3 m tall, finely pubescent throughout, branches and stems quadrangular. Leaves membranous, broadly ovate to triangular-ovate, 6-25 cm long, 5-25 cm wide, both surfaces sparsely to moderately strigillose, margins coarsely and irregularly dentate, apex acute, and base cordate to truncate. Inflorescences terminal, cymose, densely many-flowered, subsessile or short-pendulate, often subtended by a pair of foliaceous bracts, bracteoles numerous, oblong or elliptic, 1.5-3 cm long, strigillose, especially along the margins. Flowers are fragrant, calyx purple or red, sometimes with white spots, campanulate, 10-15 mm long, 5-lobed, the lobes anceolate, apex acuminate, corolla pale pink, usually doubled by petaloid stamens, stamens and ovary usually modified into extra petals. Fruits are rarely developed.

Habitat

Mostly disturbed areas

Comments

NA

Control Methods

• Manual: Mechanical: Mechanical control is difficult: continual slashing will slow but not prevent spread. Vertical soil barriers may prevent further spread if deep enough (PIER).
• Chemical: Herbicides containing triclopyr ester are suggested for Western Samoa. Work carried out in Western Samoa has shown that metsulfuron-methyl ester produces effective control. It has been recommended that the plants be cut and the new growth sprayed with herbicide. Spray young plants with a herbicide such as 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyloxyacetic acid butoxyethyl ester (PIER). Hormone-type herbicides in timely repeat applications will control this weed.
• Biological: The chrysomelid beetle Phyllocharis undulata is a prospective biocontrol agent (PIER). Further studies in this area are needed.

Control Notes

NA

References

Dave's Garden. 2014. PlantFiles: Chinese Glory Bower, Clerodendrum chinense. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/48738/. Accessed on June 20, 2014.

PIER. 2011. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): Clerodendrum chinense. http://www.hear.org/pier/species/clerodendrum_chinense.htm. Accessed on June 26, 2014.

Plantwise. 2014. Plantwise Knowledge Bank, Chinese Glory Bower (Clerodendrum chinense). http://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/datasheet.aspx?dsid=113371. Accessed on June 27, 2014.