Duranta erecta (Golden Dewdrop)

The name refers to its hanging clusters of golden-yellow berries that appear after the shrub produces lilac or pale purple flowers. It is also known as pigeon berry and skyflower.

No, the leaves and berries should be treated as toxic to people and pets, especially when the fruit is unripe. Birds can eat the berries, which helps explain why the plant still spreads naturally in warm regions.

Yes, its fast growth and tolerance of regular pruning make it useful as a tropical or subtropical hedge. Some forms develop thorns, so Duranta erecta is better suited to a boundary planting than to a walkway used by children.

It is usually grown as a shrub, but in frost-free climates it can become a larger, arching plant with woody stems. The species belongs to the verbena family, Verbenaceae, rather than to a true berry-producing fruit crop.