Rotheca myricoides (Hochst.) Steane & Mabb., Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 6 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Rotheca myricoides)

Other Latin names:  Clerodendrum myricoides (Hochst.) Vatke; Clerodendrum ugandense Prain; Spironema myricoides Hochst.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Cambridge bush, Oxford bush, blue glory bower, blue glory bush, butterfly bush, butterfly-bush

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Rotheca myricoides, commonly called blue glory bower or blue butterfly bush, is a suckering evergreen shrub with a somewhat open habit which grows rapidly to 6-10' tall and as wide in its native habitat but more typically to 2-4’ tall in containers in the St. Louis [Missouri, USA] area. It is native to tropical eastern Africa (Kenya and Uganda). This shrub was formerly known as Clerodendrum myricoides. Glabrous, elliptic to narrow-obovate, glossy bright green leaves (to 3-5” long and 1-3” wide) have serrate margins and wedge-shaped bases. Showy, five-petaled flowers bloom June to September. Flowers purportedly resemble the shape of a butterfly in flight, hence the common name of blue butterfly bush. Variable flower color ranges from blue to violet blue to white. Each flower has four light blue side petals (resembling butterfly wings), a fifth dark blue lower petal (resembling butterfly head, thorax and abdomen), and showy, curved, outward-arching, purple stamens (resembling butterfly antennae). Black fleshy fruit follows the spring blooms. . . . ¶‘Ugandense’ is a cultivar that features intense purplish-blue flowers with showy stamens. This cultivar was originally named Clerodendrum ugandense, but was later changed to Clerodendrum myricoides ‘Ugandense’. DNA studies from 1998 led to a further change to its current listing as Rotheca myricoides ‘Ugandense’." (MoBot)

See also: JSTOR Global Plants

Habitat/ecology:  In cultivation: "Easily grown in organically rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best performance occurs in part shade. Plants require regular and consistent moisture. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9b-11. Best in frost-free climates. Plants may freeze to the ground in zones 8-9 when temperatures dip below 25 degrees F., but roots may survive and send up new stems in spring as if it were an herbaceous perennial." (MoBot)

Propagation:  In cultivation: "Propagate by root suckers, cuttings or root sections." (MoBot)

Native range:  Rotheca myricoides (Lamiaceae) is native to many parts* of Africa, including Madagascar. (*For more details, see GRIN.)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Kinsey, T. Beth (2018) accessed 20180126
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced cultivated	Thomas, Philip A. (year unknown) ca. late 1990s (photo avail.) cultiv. @ Maui Tropical Plantation (Wailuku, Maui, HI)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Dave's Garden (2018) accessed 20180126; "On Oct 8, 2006, periann from Tempe, AZ wrote: I saw these last year in Hong Kong in a public gardens and thought they were incredible. I just found one at Baker's Nursery in Phoenix and planted it this weekend."
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced	Dave's Garden (2018) accessed 20180126
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced cultivated	Dave's Garden (2018) accessed 20180126
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	Dave's Garden (2018) accessed 20180126

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Africa Africa	Africa	native cultivated	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180126
Africa Africa	Madagascar	native cultivated	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180126
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced cultivated	Almost Eden (2018) accessed 20180126; cultivated in/sold from Lousiana
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced cultivated	Dave's Garden (2018) accessed 20180126; reported (cultivated) from Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii (Hawaiian Paradise Park; & Honolulu), Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington

Comments:  Rotheca myricoides is cultivated as an ornamental plant. (GRIN)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Rotheca myricoides, please let us know.