(October) I bought a "Sweet Memory" Duranta from a local garden center. The tag says it is hardy to 30
degrees Fahrenheit, but it doesn't give any kind of planting directions. Will it survive the
Arkansas winter if I plant it in the ground, or do I need to plant it in a pot so it can be
moved indoors during the winter? (The tag also said it gets to be 10-12 feet high and
8-10 feet wide. That will be an awful big pot!)
Duranta is a newer plant for Arkansas, so we don’t have a lot of firm data. I have had a duranta over winter outdoors twice -- but I think it was more of a fluke. If the tag says hardy to 30, keep in mind that central Arkansas zone 7 means it is hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 8 is hardy to 15 degrees. Duranta would not be reliable in central Arkansas, and for sure would not be in the northern third of the state. Duranta is a zone 8 plant at the best, (different varieties will have differing hardiness) and even there it is not always going to come back. I have seen some large plants in some tropical gardens in more southern climates, but I don't think you will have to worry about it getting quite that large here, unless you have a greenhouse in which to over winter it in.