Harlequin glorybower is an open, unkempt, multi-stemmed, flowering deciduous shrub in the mint family. It is a large plant, reaching up to 20 feet high and 10 feet wide at maturity. This plant has fragrant white flowers on 6 to 9 inch racemes in summer. When the leaves are crushed they give off a peanut butter fragrance, hence one of the common names. Flowers are followed by bright blue drupes. Plant in full sun to light shade in organically rich, well-drained soil. Mulch the roots heavily in the fall to protect them through the winter, otherwise, they may not survive. Use as a hedge for privacy screening, in a shrub border or along the margin of a woodland garden. The plant is sometimes classified as a tree, but effort is required to train the plant to grow as a tree. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Can be weedy. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.