Pigeon Berry, scientifically known as Duranta erecta 'Gold Mound', is a spreading evergreen shrub native to Florida, Brazil, and the West Indies. In warm climates (zones 9, 11), it grows 2, 4 feet tall and produces showy seasonal blooms alongside equally ornamental golden berries that draw birds from across your garden. In cooler regions, gardeners treat it as an annual or container plant, bringing it indoors before the first frost to enjoy year-round. Its dual appeal, delicate flowers and vibrant fruit, makes it a showstopper whether planted in the ground or displayed on a patio.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-11
48in H x 60in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
The real draw is the contrast between feathery blue-purple blooms and golden berries that hang from drooping branches, creating movement and color from spring through frost. Young plants are thornless, making them easier to handle and prune, though mature specimens develop sharp axillary thorns that add a subtle textural element. In its native tropical range, this shrub reaches 15, 18 feet, but in temperate gardens it's easily managed as a compact 2, 4 foot specimen, giving gardeners true control over its form.
Pigeon Berry thrives as a container specimen, a seasonal annual shrub in colder gardens, and a hedge in zones 10, 11 where it can be left in the ground year-round. In warmer climates, it's grown as a landscape focal point for its cascading habit and dual bloom and fruit display. Container-grown specimens are especially popular where they can be wheeled to a bright sun room before winter arrives, extending the growing season indoors.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
In zones 10, 11, transplant into moist, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun after the soil has warmed. In colder climates where Pigeon Berry is grown as an annual, transplant container-grown plants outdoors after the last frost date when temperatures are reliably warm.
Prune young plants freely to shape them; they respond well to cutting and can be trained into hedges or compact shrubs. As plants mature, wear gloves when pruning to avoid the sharp axillary thorns that develop on older stems. In cooler regions where the plant is grown as an annual or overwintered indoors, pruning in late winter or early spring before moving it outdoors will encourage branching and more abundant flowering.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Duranta erecta has traveled from its native range across Central and South America and the Caribbean to become a beloved ornamental shrub worldwide. The common names, golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and sky flower, reflect its journey through different gardening cultures and the birds that have long been attracted to its fruit. The 'Gold Mound' selection represents the refinement of this species into a cultivar prized for consistent ornamental performance in containers and landscapes where tropical warmth cannot be guaranteed year-round.”