Description Family Lamiaceae Originating from China, Japan. Received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Intensely fragrant, star-shaped white flowers bloom in late summer. Lush, abundant foliage frames a vibrant berry display. Easy to grow as a shrub or small tree without suckering. A Cosmic Jewel For Your Garden Imagine a Suffolk garden lit by this jasmine-scented small tree, its intensely fragrant, star-shaped white flowers bursting in late summer. The extraordinarily elegant, delicate flowers, even as shrimp-pink buds, provide a stunning month-long display before they bloom. Clerodendrum trichotomum var. fargesii, a bountiful beauty from Asian woodlands, grows 5m high and wide in 10–20 years. Its brilliant long display warrants planting where it’s viewed daily, seen through bifold doors from Norfolk’s modern living spaces. In autumn, waxy, metallic blue berries, the true jewels, glow in star-shaped cerise sepals. Large, slightly olive-green leaves with purple edges, flushed purple when young, frame the rich colour combination, showy from spring to autumn. Care Tips for Clerodendrum fargesii Soil and Sun: Grows in all but the wettest, heaviest soils, in full sun or light shade. Planting: Plant any time; summer planting requires vigilant watering to establish roots. Watering: Keep moist in first year; it tolerates dry spells once mature. Pruning: Prune lightly in early spring; shape freely without invasive suckers. This choice variety’s multi-faceted display suits jungle or woodland gardens in dappled shade. It thrives as a specimen in borders or country planting schemes, hardy except in exposed northern UK gardens. In our nursery, its starry blooms spark joy, a late-season spectacle. Planting Ideas for Clerodendrum, a Jasmine-Scented Small Tree Don’t allow your garden to languish in a late summer lack of flower. Defy the autumnal air and anguish at the approaching winter. Make sure your garden’s season goes out with a heartwarming bang by adding species to accompany the Clerodendrum’s late summer flourish. Heptacodium miconioides, Buddleja colvilei, Crinodendron patagua, and Freylinia lanceolata bring cheer from autumn into winter. Don’t stop your late show at tree and large shrub-sized plants. Smaller species Grevillea ‘Jean O’neill’ and williamsonii continue flowering right through winter, laughing at its gloom. Hesperantha coccinea ‘Major’ and ‘Snow Maiden’ join their display in autumn. Hedychiums densiflorum, ‘Elizabeth’ and Kniphofia rooperi display as many plants give up for the season.
