Clerodendrum bungei (rose glory bower, "Botankusagi")

Japanese name: ボタンクサギ （牡丹臭木）
Scientific name: Clerodendrum bungei

[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 1 m tall, reaching 2 m when it grows well.
It sends out suckers and forms colonies.
The leaves and branches have a distinctive smell when rubbed.
Leaves are simple and opposite, broadly ovate, 10–15 cm long.
The leaf margin is toothed.
The petioles are long, and on the shaded side they grow longer so that the leaves reach the sun.
Cymes at the branch tips bear dense flowers.
The flowers are reddish purple to pale reddish purple; the corolla is 5-lobed and the corolla tube is 2.5 cm long.
The stamens project far out.

[History]
It has become naturalized in southern Kyushu, and it also overwinters well and spreads in Kansai.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by division or cuttings.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, moisture-retentive, fertile site.
Cultivation is easy.
It tolerates temperatures down to about -5°C, so it can be grown in the open ground in the Kanto region and south.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
It does not need much fertilizer, but if given, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer at the base in spring.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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