Most gardens are filled with music. Wind whistles in the trees, birds sing sweetly overhead, bees buzz in and out. If that’s still not quite enough for you, though, try adding Musical Notes clerodendrum. This tropical plant will need to spend its winters indoors in most areas, but you’ll love the music note-shaped blooms.

Musical Notes Clerodendrum Growing Tips

Musical Notes Clerodendrum
Jill Staake
Clerodendrum incisum

Musical Notes clerodendrum (Clerodendrum incisum) is native to the tropics of Africa. Frosts and freezes will kill it quickly, so unless you’re in zones 9 to 11, grow it in pots. That way, you can move your plant indoors when fall approaches.

Give it bright light and water once or twice a week, and expect some leaf drop over winter. When warm weather returns, move it outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, and increase watering a bit. Flowers should appear by mid to late summer and last until fall. (It can be a bit messy when the short-lived flowers drop, so if it’s blooming indoors, be careful about placement.)

Prune it back after blooming season ends in late fall to encourage bushy growth. It likes rich soil, so if you’re not seeing the growth you’d like, fertilize and keep the soil moist.

What Do the Flowers Look Like?

Musical Notes Clerodendrum
Jill Staake
Musical Notes clerodendrum is a tropical plant that is native to Africa

Clerodendrum is a large family of plants which includes the popular bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae). Musical Notes clerodendrum is a shrub rather than a vine, but it can get a bit leggy. Once flowering begins, the blooms are abundant. The unopened blooms droop and resemble music notes, while the opened flowers boast long scarlet stamens.

Where to Find Musical Notes Plants

Musical Notes Clerodendrum
Jill Staake
This unique plant is not commonly sold in stores but worth seeking out.

Musical Notes clerodendrum may be a little bit difficult to find locally. If you know someone who grows it, collect seed or ask for a cutting. Otherwise, look online for vendors offering this interesting plant, or check local plant sales.

This unusual plant is generally considered fairly easy to grow, so it should be worth the effort to add one to your collection.

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