Native to southern USA. It grows in dry to moist disturbed areas. Common along roadsides and in thickets; at elevations from 150 - 1,650 metres. This species may be planted in the ground or in large containers. Although it grows best in full sun, it is tolerant of semi-shade. This species is occasionally attacked by caterpillars, scale insects and nematodes.

Duranta erecta is a usually thorny, evergreen shrub or small tree, sometimes with a weeping habit; it usually grows around 4 - 6 metres tall, though pot-grown plants are more likely to be around 1.2 metres.

BARK: pairs of spines along the stems, one located;the base of each of the leaf stalks. Younger stems are green in colour and sparsely covered in close-lying (i.e. appressed) hairs.

LEAVES: simple and paired (i.e. oppositely arranged) or occasionally borne in whorls of three, short leaf stalks (i.e. petioles) up to 1 cm long, ovate with serrate to entire leaf margin (2.5 - 7.5 cm long).

FLOWERS: light purple or blue, tubular flowers are 5-lobed (1.3 cm wide). Flowers are arranged in terminal or lateral clusters known as racemes (15 cm long).

FRUITS: golden, round to slightly elongated berries (1.3 cm wide). They occur in large, hanging clusters.

An ornamental tree.

Medicine: the plant is used in the treatment of fevers, skin itches. http://www.tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Duranta+erecta

Agroforestry: can be grown as a hedge, grown in living fences.

The plant is used as an insect repellant