Pingo-de-ouro

Some years ago I planted pingo-de-ouro (Duranta repens) along the fence that separates the two entrances to the Bosque. It became what I intended it to be, a live fence. While in the process of growing and filling in spaces, I always kept the plants cropped at about a meter and a half high. I never dreamed that pingo-de-ouro could become a beautiful tree until I visited a nursery owned by our friend Edna and her husband, Manoel. They have such a variety of plants, palms and trees, I always become starry- eyed seeing it all. On one visit I asked about a beautiful tree about 6 meters high, full of small, beautiful yellow fruit. Pingo-de ouro. I couldn't believe it, the same plant I use as a hedge! So I decided that day I'd let the hedges grow into trees. The attached image shows foliage and berries. It doesn't take much imagination how it came to take on the name pingo-de-ouro, i.e., drops of gold. I understand that it is originally from Mexico.