Have you any experience with Harlequin glorybower?

As a child I was fascinated by a low tree/tall shrub that attracted butterflies at my grandparents' home. We called it the butterfly bush, but I think I've correctly identified it as a Harlequin glorybower (aka the peanut butter tree because the leaves smell like peanut butter when you first crush them).

My grandfather chopped the tree/shrub down several years ago, but my father has found some small trees else where on the property where birds had spread seed from the metallic blue/turquoise berries.

I'm wanting to try to grow one here. I live in cold hardiness zone 6, and my grandparents' house is in zone 7. When I did a search for the lowest cold hardiness zone, I found mixed results. Some sites had 6a as the lowest and the other have it as 7.

I'm wondering if I should plant one in a large flower pot and move it into a sheltered place during the winter instead of planting it in the yard. Does anyone have any experience with these trees in WNC?

Tags: Harlequin glorybower, cold hardiness, peanut butter tree

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Polly McDaniel on July 8, 2008 at 9:51am

First of all, I had never heard of this Harlequin Glorybower. I thought some pictures of it might be helpful so I looked some up.

I also found that it’s a tree or shrub, kind of the size of a dogwood, it seems. And it’s a member of the verbena family. It blooms August-October which makes it a great addition to the late summer/early fall garden. It is hardy to Zones 7-9.
Follow this link for information I found online about this plant/tree:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://mysite.verizon.net/ph...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael Coyle on July 8, 2008 at 12:24pm

It is one seriously cool plant, but the sites listing it as zone 6 are probably being a little too optimistic about the hardiness of this one. I have not grown the plant myself, but I would be willing to try it. I live close to downtown asheville, and many zone 7 (or higher) plants have survived in my yard given the right shelter.

A good example of a zone 7 plant that has done well here is Edgeworthia. It has proven itself to be hardy enough for the lower elevations around asheville to the point where we feel comfortable enough to sell it at BBBarns. The Glorybower may be similar, and that could be why some sites list it into zone 6.

To me, a zone 7 rating is like a dare. Usually I try the plant regardless of the zone, and if it works then all the merrier.