Alba Duranta

Alba duranta (Duranta erecta 'Alba') is the white flowered form of a shrub most Australians know in purple. It grows quickly to about 2.5m tall and 2m wide, carrying sprays of small fragrant white flowers through the warm months, and it clips as willingly as any hedging plant sold. If you want a fast, scented screen that also feeds birds and butterflies, this is a straightforward choice.

Why you'll love it

• Fast to close a gap. Growth is quick enough that a hedge planted from tubes reads as solid by the second season.
• Fragrant white sprays. The flowers come in flushes through the warm months with a light sweet scent, so plant it where you walk past.
• It takes shears well. Clip it formally, shape it into balls or standards, or leave it loose. Every trim thickens the plant.
• Tough in real conditions. Heat, humidity, dry spells and coastal salt are all handled once the roots are down, and birds and butterflies work it constantly.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense hedge. At 2.5m it screens a standard fence line comfortably, and it clips down to 1.5m if you want something lower.

Topiary and shaping. Fine branching and rapid regrowth suit clipped balls, cones and standards beside an entry or in a large pot.

Mass planting. Set 1m apart in a wide bed for a block of white flower, or grow a single plant as an informal feature.

One honest caution. The orange berries that follow the flowers are toxic to pets and children if eaten. Clipping after each flush removes most of them, which is worth doing in a garden used by small children.

Growing duranta in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering and densest growth. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and tolerates light frost only, so cold winter districts should expect frost damage each year, or grow it in a large pot in a sheltered position.

Soil. Not fussy, but it wants drainage. Work compost through heavy clay or plant on a low mound, then mulch 75mm deep and keep the mulch off the stem.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off, since it is drought tolerant once established. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and midsummer keeps a clipped hedge dense.

Pruning. Trim after each flowering flush, two or three times over the warm season for a formal hedge. It shoots readily from old wood, so a neglected or frost damaged plant recovers fully from a hard cut back in late winter.

What to expect when it arrives

Alba duranta is grown as tube stock, arriving young at roughly 15cm to 25cm tall and usually single stemmed. For a hedge run that is the sensible buy, since duranta grows fast enough that the head start from larger stock is quickly erased. Tip prune from the first month to build low branching rather than one leggy stem.

Plants are packed upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect new growth within three to four weeks in warm weather. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant and maintain a sharp looking hedge
• Browse all hedging and screening plants
• More fragrant plants for paths and entries
• Plants that suit topiary and shaping

Common questions

How far apart should I plant a hedge?

One metre apart, centre to centre, which is ten plants for a ten metre run. Widen to 1.5m if you want a looser informal screen with gaps between plants.

Are the berries dangerous?

Yes, the berries are toxic to pets and children if eaten. Trimming after each flowering flush removes most of them before they ripen, and a clipped hedge rarely carries many.

Will frost kill it?

It tolerates light frost only. A hard frost burns the top growth, but established plants usually reshoot from the base in spring. Cut the damage away in late winter.