Musical note plant (Clerodendrum incisum var. macrosiphon) is a member of the Lamiaceae family. A native of Nigeria, this upright, showy shrub earned its unusual name because of the shape of its flower buds: each one consists of a slender 4-inch-long, trumpet-shaped tube that ends with a flattened, oval-shaped club resembling a soprano-range eighth note.

The club portion of the “musical note” splits to reveal an attractive flower that resembles a small white butterfly. It has several red, thin, extremely long, curly, proboscislike stamens that extend 1.5 inches beyond the flower’s petals. The buds grow upright in large numbers, borne in clusters of 5 to 10 white flowers. A prolific bloomer, the flowers have no fragrance and are rather short-lived, lasting at most for two days. The dull green, lanceolate leaves have variable shapes; some have smooth margins, while others have 1/8- to 3/8-inch random serrations. Attractive to butterflies and resistant to deer, this plant blooms in January and February and from September through December in USDA Zones 9-11 (the Chicago area is in Zone 5b).