How often should I water my Clerodendrum?

Water your Clerodendrum when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot and other problems.

Why is my Clerodendrum not blooming?

Clerodendrum may stop blooming if it's not receiving enough light or if it's been over-pruned. Try moving it to a brighter location or pruning it back to encourage new growth.

How do I propagate Clerodendrum from cuttings?

Take 4-6 inch stem cuttings from your Clerodendrum plant and remove lower leaves. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone and plant it in a well-draining potting mix. Keep the soil moist and warm until roots develop.

What pests can affect my Clerodendrum?

Common pests that can affect Clerodendrum include mealybugs, spider mites, and scale. Inspect your plant regularly and treat any infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Can I grow Clerodendrum outdoors?

Yes, Clerodendrum can be grown outdoors in warm, humid climates. However, it may require protection from extreme temperatures and frost.

How do I care for my Clerodendrum during the winter?

Clerodendrum can be sensitive to cold temperatures, so bring it indoors during the winter or protect it with a frost blanket. Reduce watering and fertilizing during this time to promote dormancy.

Can I prune my Clerodendrum to control its size?

Yes, you can prune your Clerodendrum to control its size and promote healthy growth. Remove any dead or damaged branches and cut back overgrown tips to encourage new growth.

How do I fertilize my Clerodendrum?

Fertilize your Clerodendrum with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer during the growing season (spring and summer). Dilute the fertilizer to half the recommended strength to avoid burning the roots.

Clerodendrum Care: Tips and Tricks for a Thriving Plant

My Life-Long Love Affair with Clerodendrum!I still remember the first time I laid eyes on a Clerodendrum, and it was love at first sight. The leaves, the vines, the flowers – everything was just perfect! I had to rewrite my initial review because I saw someone else, Alena, had posted a review first. But the main thing is, I'm not the only one who thinks this way, and that's great!

My first Clerodendrum Thomponii was a real showstopper. It was a climbing plant that grew up the side of my window and then spilled out over the top. It was like a lush green archway. For the first few years, it bloomed beautifully, but then it just stopped. I read in a book about houseplants that you need to prune Clerodendrum to get it to bloom again. I was heartbroken, but I went ahead and pruned it anyway. Unfortunately, it didn't survive, and it turned into a bunch of bare sticks.

My first mistake was not leaving any cuttings to root. My second mistake was pruning it in the middle of winter! And to make matters worse, I just threw the poor thing away a few months later without even thinking that maybe, just maybe, it would come back to life with regular watering. I mean, plants have periods of dormancy, right?

As if that wasn't enough, I couldn't find any Clerodendrum plants in the local nurseries or at my friends' houses. So, I went without my beloved plant for years, occasionally thinking about it wistfully.

Fast forward to five years ago, when I got my hands on a rooted cutting of Clerodendrum. Since it was planting season, we had to squeeze it into a small pot and shove it between the other plants on the windowsill.

I soon realized my Clerodendrum was dying. No matter how much I watered and fertilized it, nothing seemed to help. Then it hit me – the poor thing was root-bound! I transplanted it into a bigger pot, and within a week, it rewarded me with a new shoot. Then another one. By the end of summer, my Clerodendrum had made a full recovery and was sporting a lush green canopy, mostly at the top of the plant.

But the real surprise came in the fall – my Clerodendrum bloomed!

It bloomed from October to mid-May, a whopping 7 months! And it's still blooming in March!

It bloomed right through the dormant period. Since I wasn't sure what would happen next – would it die again? – I decided to propagate a few cuttings. I simply snipped off a couple of stems and stuck them in water.

To improve the plant's appearance, I wrapped the stems around the main stem a few times to hide the bare base, creating a tree-like shape.

But by the end of May (after the blooming period), the leaves on my plant started to yellow and drop.

At first, I thought the flower was just taking a break after missing winter. But the more I watched it, the less I believed that. I started noticing tiny droplets on the leaves at the bottom.

At first, I wasn't too worried, since some plants just do that – give off 'morning dew' – and it's normal. But when the droplets turned black, I was on high alert. Plus, the leaves started getting dry spots, and they just kept getting worse.

After chatting with the experts on the plant forum, I realized we had an infestation of mealybugs!

I couldn't see the actual bugs themselves, but the signs of their activity were pretty convincing.

Then, I accidentally spotted one of the little pests on my ficus, which I thought was the epicenter of the problem.

I knew exactly what to look for, so I started studying the leaves of my Cladrastis and found a ton of black mites on it.

After that, I had a long battle with the pest throughout the entire apartment.

Mites on Cladrastis: How I Dealt with Them

Here's a quick rundown of my actions to get rid of the mites.

First, I applied a mixture of soap and water to the leaves of my ficus (the plant that initially brought the pests into my apartment) and Cladrastis, covering the soil with a plastic bag. Then, I thoroughly washed the plants.

The next step was to apply Actara with Cymoxanil to all plants and windowsills in every room in the apartment on the same day.

Ten days later, I treated everything with Confidor Extra.

A further 10-12 days later, I applied Fitoverm.

Fast forward to April 2021, and I noticed that the Cladrastis leaves were infested with mites again. I immediately used my detective skills and discovered... more mites!

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I had to go through treatment again in three stages. This time, the tripes ended up in the house with new potting soil for the seedlings, which I think is because the pepper seedlings were the first to be affected. I was stumped, trying to figure out what was going on with the peppers, and that's when I noticed the problem with the clerodendrums. Then, the mystery was solved!

I don't need to say that in 2022, we had another infestation in the spring. It was the seedlings again. But this time, I acted fast. As soon as I saw the first signs of whiteflies on the flowers and holes on the peppers, I treated everything with Actara right away. This year, I only needed to do one treatment, and I didn't even find any larvae.

I've decided to spray all my flowers (and seedlings) with Actara once a year in the spring, as a preventative measure. The taller plants also need to be misted.

But let's go back to 2019.

The plant's health was severely compromised. I had to heavily fertilize it (through watering). A few months later, my clerodendrum had grown a lot of new leaves. Some of the leaves still had holes, but that's a minor issue. The important thing is that it recovered.

As I was washing it, I noticed the flower was about to bloom again!

Even the three new cuttings I planted in late August decided to bloom. I got so excited that I moved the 'small' one to a different window, and it dried out and dropped some of the buds – another rookie mistake: don't change the lighting too quickly for a blooming plant. And, as time went on, I made another error: don't plant multiple cuttings in the same pot – they'll be crowded, and there won't be enough nutrients for them.

Two years ago, I transplanted a single rooted cutting into a new pot because I wanted to refresh my first Clerodendrum.

But I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of my trusty old 'grandpa' – it was blooming beautifully, and its leaves had gotten so big and lush. So, now I have three Clerodendrums at home – two in different rooms and one on the kitchen counter.

WHY I LOVE MY CLERODENDRUM TOMSON

Everything!

I love the way its leaves look – those thick, leathery leaves and branches.

I love its carefree vibe, so I let some of the other plants get a little wild.

The flowering is just incredible! When Clethra is in bloom, it's like a whole new plant.

This is just the most tender, long-lasting bloom – it's been going on for months!

My Clethras are flowering pretty much year-round – sometimes in the room, sometimes on the kitchen windowsill, and sometimes all together!

Watching the transformation of the flowers is a whole other pleasure!

First, there are these tiny buds on the tips of the stems. Before long, they'll be like little white lanterns, and you'll think – what beauty is this, if anything can be more stunning?

And then the lanterns open up, and inside, you see these white balls that gradually turn pink over the next couple of days, and then become a butterfly-like flower, floating alongside the bell-shaped blooms.

I have to admit, when I first saw this, I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever. But nope. The red flower starts to fade, drops off, and then the white skirt-like petals start to turn a lovely shade of lilac. Before you know it, the whole cluster is covered in this gorgeous white-lilac gradient.

Next, they'll turn a deeper, richer shade and stay on the flower for another month or two.

It's just this incredible, one-of-a-kind flowering process.

Hands down, my favorite houseplant is the Clerodendrum. I could give up all the other flowers under certain circumstances (and with a heavy heart, too), but I'd never part with my Clerodendrum.

CARE TIPS VS. OUR REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE

LIGHTING

The Clerodendrum Thompsonii needs bright, but indirect light.

East- and west-facing windowsills are perfect spots for it to thrive.

When I place my liana near a south-facing window, I make sure to provide some shade to prevent those scorching sunbeams from burning the delicate flower.

On a north-facing windowsill, the plant is unlikely to bloom due to lack of light.

My first Clerodendrum is on a northeast window. It's blooming. Has large leaves with a rich green color. It's already taken up most of the window space.

We're on the 5th floor, and there are no trees outside the window, so the plant gets plenty of light. On especially sunny days, the leaves pressed against the glass even get sunburned. So, I need to rotate the plant 10-15 degrees around its axis every now and then, about once a day, to avoid burning the leaves.

My second one moved to the adjacent room (also northeast). It's blooming. Grows a bit leggy and stretched out, as it stayed in a small pot that fits into a hanging basket, and there are three branches in the pot.

My third one is on the kitchen window. It's southwest-facing, and I've got a curtain to filter the intense sunlight. If not, it would get scorched. It's blooming and seems to be doing well. This plant is still quite compact. After pruning, it didn't produce any new vines, and it remains a compact, blooming shrub. Although, who knows what will happen by the end of summer.

Temperature

My Clerodendrum is happy in warm temperatures, ranging from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.

During the colder months, it goes dormant.

To encourage lush and abundant flowering, I need to provide a cooler atmosphere, around 15 degrees Celsius.

I don't have the space to move my houseplants to a cooler area during winter, but my first Clerodendrum thrived for several years before it finally burnt out.

My current plants on the northeast-facing windowsill bloom in autumn, winter, and spring. This year, they started blooming in winter and continued right through summer! The flowering isn't as profuse, but it's still a lovely sight.

I think it's all about giving them regular fertilization. I used to neglect this, but now I feed my Clerodendrums year-round, even if they're blooming.

I've got a totally different story with the kitchen version. I was able to squeeze it in for winter near a large planter with a Schefflera right next to the window. The warm air from the heaters didn't even reach the plant, and the double-glazed window kept it nice and cool. Plus, it got plenty of light, which is crucial since I don't want to compromise on that. I only watered it occasionally, but I never forgot to do so. And, of course, I didn't fertilize it.

As a result, it spent the whole winter with bare branches, but as soon as spring arrived, it sprang back to life and produced a whole bunch of buds!

Check out the transformation of my Clethra in the series of photos below.

I've come to realize that my Clerodendrum can thrive and bloom without a period of dormancy for several years, as long as I keep feeding it and keep an eye out for pests that love to target weakened flowers.

HUMIDITY AND WATERING

During its active growth and flowering periods, my Clerodendrum needs regular watering. When the top layer of soil feels dry to the touch, it's time for another drink. But don't go overboard – I've learned that overwatering is just as bad as underwatering. Both can be detrimental to the plant's development.

In the winter, when my plant is in its dormant phase, I water it sparingly, only after the soil has completely dried out. At cooler temperatures, the plant takes its time drinking in water, so the soil takes longer to dry out. I use soft, room-temperature water that's been allowed to sit for a bit.

My Clerodendrum needs a bit more humidity in the air than I'd like to admit. To combat this, I regularly mist it with a spray bottle.

This is especially important during the hot summer months and when the central heating is on.

If my plant sheds all its leaves in the winter, I stop misting it. Instead, I just make sure to protect it from the cold air blowing from the radiators.

Honestly, I'm guilty of forgetting to water my plants from time to time. I don't do it regularly, but so far, it hasn't affected my Clerodendrum or other green friends. What I do is give them a good soak a few times a month to get rid of dust on their leaves. It seems like they really love these water procedures, and my Clerodendrum is the biggest fan. It looks so perky and full of life after a bath!

I water my Clerodendrum as soon as the top layer of soil feels dry. I give it a lot of water, and it drinks it all within a day or two.

That's when the summer watering routine gets tricky. My Clerodendrum needs to be watered at least every other day, which can be a pain when we're away from home. So, we have to make sure someone checks in to water the plants regularly.

Sometimes we get delayed, and when we come back, the Clerodendrum is looking a bit wilted. But every time after watering, it perks back up. It's a resilient plant, but we try not to let it get to that point.

FERTILIZATION

During the growing season, our Clerodendrum gets a weekly dose of a comprehensive fertilizer for decorative plants. As the seasons change, we switch to a monthly schedule in the fall and stop fertilizing altogether during the winter.

I try to stick to the fertilization schedule, but let's be honest – my memory isn't always reliable... This winter, with all the blooming, I had to fertilize our plant as frequently as I do during the summer.

I've been using two fertilizers, switching between them – Agricola Universal for indoor plants and Agricola for Flowering Plants. The first fertilizer has an equal amount of Nitrogen and Potassium, while the second has less Nitrogen than Potassium. Nitrogen is essential for green mass growth, and since our flowers are actively growing during the summer, I don't see the point in using only the flowering plant fertilizer.

SOIL

The Clethra thrives in fertile soil with a slightly acidic reaction. You can either buy ready-made soil from the store or prepare it yourself. If you choose the first option, you'll need to mix soil for azaleas and roses in a 4:1 ratio.

Preparing it yourself involves mixing peat moss, leaf soil, compost, sand, and perlite in equal proportions. Make sure to add a good drainage system at the bottom of the pot. You can use small bricks or perlite.

Our first Clethra was initially planted in a universal potting soil for seedlings. It grew well and bloomed for a long time.

When I repotted it, I moved it to a mix of soil for azaleas and roses. I didn't have sand on hand, so I skipped it.

The third one was planted in a mix of soil for azaleas and roses, but this time I added sand. I'm not sure what soil I used for the second one.

Personally, I didn't notice any significant difference in the plants' condition depending on the type of soil.

The only thing I do is sieve the soil through a strainer before planting, removing any debris, sticks, and dense chunks. If possible, I also add coarse sand to loosen the soil.

REPOTTING

I've had to replace the old soil in my Clerodendrum pot a few times, which involves repotting. They also recommend repotting if the roots start to get too cramped in the pot. I usually do it at the beginning of the growing season, right after pruning the plant. When the plant is young, I repot it every year, but for more mature ones, it's once every two or three years.

For Clerodendrum, you want a fertile and slightly acidic soil (pH 5–6). You can use a pre-made potting mix from the store or make your own by mixing coarse sand, peat, clay soil, and leaf soil in equal parts. Before repotting, it's essential to sterilize the new soil using steam, a microwave, or a hot oven.

The new pot should be slightly larger and higher than the old one. Start with a good layer of drainage material (about 1.2 inches) at the bottom, then gently transfer the plant to the new pot, trying to keep the soil intact. Fill in any gaps with fresh soil, and water the plant thoroughly. If the plant needs support later on, it's best to install it during repotting, as trying to do it afterwards might damage the roots.

I've repotted my first Clerodendrum in five years three times already.

My second one hasn't been repotted at all, and it's suffering for it – the pot is too small, and the plant desperately needs a bigger space.

I haven't repotted my third one yet, but it's not growing much. However, it does flower, so maybe I'll repot it next year.

PROPAGATION

Seedlings

I've had some experience with seedlings, and I've found that planting seeds in late February', }