Oh Glory Bowers, where art thou? Everything here in the deep South is bursting out all over except these sticks, formerly known as my beautiful Bleeding Hearts. Any one know if they're just later than other plants to leaf out or if an unusually cold winter got them?
Hi Rozilla, I presume you're talking about a Clerodendrum thomsoniae in the family Verbenaceae. They are hardy in zones 11 and 10, zone 9 where you live is a stretch if the winter is really cold. Is it in the ground or in a pot? Some people take them in for the winter especially if the winter is cold. Did you leave it outside? If you have sticks now I would say you have lost it. You might think about potting the next one and moving it inside for the winter. Jerry
Are you referring to the clerodendrum 'bleeding heart' (?) I began giving mine water and fertilizer about a month ago, and just saw the first set of opened flowers yesterday. It has several hands of buds all over, and is still leafing out at the same time. The plant likes protection from north winds, moist loamy soil and weakened fert. Mine overwinter in ground, but have good protection from frost and plenty of pine mulch. Start watering (if you don't have spring rains yet) and give fertilizer. Mine sometimes die back. But with care return. Don't give up though, give a few more weeks and take care of it. I'm in same zone. If coming up this late either yours has different climatic conditions... It may be as Jerry mentioned; perhaps too much winter exposure/no mulch/north facing, etc... and should pot overwinter.
