Golden dewdrop is an evergreen, sprawling shrub or rarely a small tree in the verbena family (Verbenaceae). It is native to tropical and sub-tropical Americas, including Florida. The genus name honors Castore Durante, a Papal physician and botanist in Rome. The specific epithet is Latin for “upright or erect.” The plant grows quickly in well-drained soils in full sun. The showy clusters of flowers are light blue, purple, white or even pink and appear from summer to fall. They are followed by clusters of round, yellow-orange fruits in late summer to fall. The fruits can be fatal to dogs and children if eaten but do not harm birds. In colder climates, grow this plant as an annual, where it will reach 2 to 4 feet tall in a single season. It can also be grown in containers and brought indoors during cold weather. Pruning after flowering is recommended to keep the plant more compact. Fruits can be removed to prevent the potential spread of this plant. Golden dewdrop grows in a somewhat weeping or sprawling habit, and flowers are borne at the end of the current season’s growth. Mature plants may have thorns. Grow golden dewdrop in a butterfly garden, pollinator garden or cottage garden. Grow it in the border surrounded by sturdy shrubs on which the golden dewdrop and lean and sprawl. ‘Cuban Gold’ and other dwarf cultivars can be used as borders or even groundcover. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Watch for whiteflies.
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.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect; Spreading
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Ovate to obovate, green or yellow-green leaves are 1 to 3 inches long and have entire to serrate margins. Each leaf possesses a thorn on the bottom side along the rachis (stem).
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Blue to violet flowers possibly with white edging on 6 in. racemes on new growth.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
½ inch, yellow-orange drupes in late summer to fall hang in long, trailing clusters.
Bark color
Light Brown
Bark detail
light brown and slightly furrowed.
Stem detail
Green long vine-like stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical and sub-tropical Americas
Wildlife value
Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visit the flowers; birds will eat the fruit.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Houseplants; Patio
Design feature
Accent; Border; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy
Garden tags
#salt tolerant #evergreen #exotic looking #poisonous #hummingbird friendly #vibrant #butterfly friendly #problem for children #tropical herbaceous perennial #problem for dogs #problem for cats #bee friendly
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs
Resistant to
Salt
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting
Poison severity
High
Poison parts
Fruits; Leaves
Poison symptoms
If eaten this plant has been known to kill children, pets, and animals