Although the name "Stinking Peony" (Clerodendrum bungei) sounds unpleasant, its flowers are truly beautiful.

Clerodendrum bungei is also known by the aliases Big Red Robe, Eight-Treasure Stink, Dwarf Child, Wild Vermilion Paulownia, Stinking Maple Grass, Stinking Pearl Piercer and Stinking Skull. Its appearance closely resembles the peony, and because it carries a foul odor it is commonly called Stinking Peony (Stinking Peony). It is a plant in the genus Clerodendrum of the family Verbenaceae. The leaves are deep green, the flowers are elegant, and the flowering period is long, making it a very beautiful garden flower. It is suitable for planting on slopes, beneath trees or beside groves. It prefers sunny and moist environments, is highly adaptable, and is cold- and drought-tolerant. Because it spreads densely through suckering, it can also serve as an excellent soil and water conservation plant, used for slope protection and soil and water conservation.

The medicinal herb known as Stinking Peony in traditional Chinese medicine comes from the roots and leaves of Clerodendrum bungei, and has the effects of dispelling wind and detoxifying, reducing swelling and relieving pain. The leaves are harvested in summer and the roots in autumn, used fresh or dried for later use. The famous Yunnan snake medicine contains Stinking Peony.

Clerodendrum bungei

Growing environment:

It grows on mountain slopes, forest edges, ravines, roadsides and moist places in thickets below 2500 m in elevation. It prefers sunny and moist environments, is highly adaptable, is cold- and drought-tolerant, and is also fairly shade-tolerant; it is best grown in fertile, loose leaf mold. It grows on mountain slopes, at forest edges or beside ditches. It prefers warm, humid, semi-shaded environments and is suited to loose, fertile, well-drained substrates. The optimal growing temperature is 18-22°C, and the overwintering temperature is 8-12°C.

Clerodendrum bungei

Distribution range:

In China: it is found in North China, Northwest China and Southwest China; the specific provinces include Sichuan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei and Guangxi.

Abroad: it is also distributed in northern India, Vietnam and Malaysia.

It is native to tropical South America and is now widely cultivated in many places.

Propagation methods:

It is mainly propagated by division, and can also be propagated by root cuttings and sowing. For division, from after leaf fall in autumn and winter to before bud break in spring, dig up the above-ground sucker shoots and replant them separately. For root cuttings, in the plum rain season cut off the horizontally creeping root suckers and insert them into sandy soil; they root 1-2 weeks after insertion. For sowing, collect seeds in September-October, store them in sand over winter, sow in the following spring, and they germinate 2-3 weeks after sowing.

Clerodendrum bungei

Cultivation techniques:

During the growing period, the spread of root suckers must be controlled. Keep the soil moist; apply fertilizer once in May-June, and prune excess sucker shoots at any time. In winter, cut off the withered above-ground parts to reduce pest and disease damage.

Pest and disease control:

It is commonly affected by rust disease and gray mold. Spray plants with gray mold with a 2500-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder, and use a 400-fold dilution of 20% triadimefon EC to control plants with rust disease. Pests include leaf beetles and stinging caterpillars, which can be killed by spraying a 3000-fold dilution of 2.5% deltamethrin.