Duranta, Golden Dew Drop, Pigeon Berry, White Sky Flower 'Alba'

This plant has grown well in the WCBG Butterfly house since the place was built in November of 1997. It is planted there for its usefull...Read Moreness to butterflies seeking nectar.
When tours are given, it is interesting and entertaining to hear what the kids say when asked what the flowers smell like. "Vanilla" is most common, but I have also heard "sugar, ice cream, honey, icing," and most suprising to me: "milk."

It gets more questions and comments than the unfragrant purple-flowered specimen. It reblooms continually, but with a high point once or twice yearly.

In addition to what has been posted, I grow mine in full sun and it does very well. I have found these variety to be much more fragrant ...Read Morethan the other varieties. Frangrance reminds me of lilacs.

I have had my "White Sky" Alba about 8 years. I started it from a cutting. It's a large bush with spreading branches that can easily be c...Read Moreontrolled via trimming. It's a fast grower but requires a lot of space to mature and bloom. Mine is in mostly shade and does very well there. In zone 10 they bloom from April through November. There are no problems with suckers. I have a "Golden Dewdrop" variety growing next to it. These bushes are great to use to cover up a sore spot on your property, as long as you have room. Along with small attractive white/whiteish flowers both bushes produce smallish beigh/gold berries which birds seem to enjoy. Both colors are great butterfly attractors. As noted by the previous poster, both my varieties have needle like thorns that are a painfull reminder to be carefull around me. Occasionally mine get small tight spider like webs around the berries after they have been on the bush for a while.
Art

This is a beautiful, easy to care for bush that makes a wonderful speciman plant. Sometimes older plants will spread by under ground run...Read Moreners.
These plants seem to be available both with and without thorns. I'd advise anyone who wants to plant one to try to find the thornless variety as the thorns are usually at least an inch long and shaped like needles (and just as sharp as well)!