 Leaves are usually in whorls of 3 and produce a fetid smell when crushed.The fragrant flowers are usually mauve with strongly exserted stamens and style, a common characteristic of the genus, and are borne in dense, terminal clusters.Closely related are "Clerodendrum thomsoniae" (Bleeding Heart) and "Clerodendrum ugandense", known as Oxford and Cambridge bush because of its two tones of blue.