Friend asked me to identify this.

Discussion in 'Identification Area' started by silu, Mar 17, 2017.

  1. silu

    silu gardening easy...hmmm

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    Not too sure what it is. It's evergreen and hasn't flowered but had been heavily pruned before friend got it from a neighbour. I wondered about Hebe but proably wrong....wonder if @Silver surfer is about?!
     
  2. wiseowl

    wiseowl FRIENDLY ADMIN Staff Member

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    Good afternoon @silu have you a photo please:smile:
     
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    • "M"

      "M" Total Gardener

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      Possibly a Ghost Hebe?:dunno: ;) :heehee:
       
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      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        • Mowerman

          Mowerman Gardener

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          Been pruned so heavily pruned it's invisible :snorky:
           
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          • silu

            silu gardening easy...hmmm

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            Oh you are a load of cheeky b,ggers! :rasp:I was in a hurry and didn't check the photo had attached.See I have spelt friend and probably wrong too....yup I was rushing. So the photo of the "Ghost Hebe" is attatched now I sincerely hope, before I become a complete figure of fun:doh: Don't have any other photos so bit of a long shot without more closeup maybe.
            Unknown plant.JPG
             
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            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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              Looks like a Hebe to me. It's very much like some we have in our garden that have white flowers. Don't know the name as they were from cuttings we took from someone's front garden - with their permission. (Mrs Shiney regularly knocks on people's doors asking for cuttings of their plants :thumbsup:).

              Our ones are in a bed of Hebes where the rabbits seem to like to nibble all the others but leave those alone. :noidea:. Rabbits became one less yesterday when Sarafi decided he should get a bit of exercise around lunchtime. :snork:
               
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              • Silver surfer

                Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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                • silu

                  silu gardening easy...hmmm

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                  Many thanks @Silver surfer who strikes again:Wino:and @shiney. I had a fergal about on the net and a candidate looks like Snowdrift maybe? Friend is NOT a gardener but is beginning to come round to the idea it might be a good idea to know that a Mahonia isn't a "flashy Holly:loll:" which is what she calls it despite me telling her it's not related as far as I am aware anyway. I do my best but "some fell on stoney ground" I'm afraid,however despite her lack of interest in plants she really is a great laugh and super fun!
                   
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                  • Silver surfer

                    Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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                    Ooops! Confusion......
                    I was talking about the dwarf shrub with red leaves.
                    You said it had been heavily pruned!

                    Not sure about other plant in pic...no evidence of heavy pruning.
                    Not sure Hebe would grow back so fast.
                    Can you add a close up of the stem/leaves?

                    Please do not prune again ...until it flowers....then can we see the flower.

                    Mahonia does look like a flashy holly!!!!
                    Incidentally Mahonia is part of Berberis family.
                    Infact some botanists now insist on it being called Berberis.
                    I cannot keep up.

                    http://www.henriettes-herb.com/blog/mahonia-or-berberis.html
                     
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                    • silu

                      silu gardening easy...hmmm

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                      I was a little puzzled with you saying "several have red leaves" but I will forever bow down to "the Oracle" ie you @Silver surfer :) and can see why you were confued. The plant isn't mine so it's a no re other photos certainly for the time being and I should have said it was heavily pruned early last year but agree it does seem to have grown back quickly.
                      I've told my pal it's a Hebe and she's happy with that. Being someone who doesn't know her Hollies from Mahonias I think if I'd told her it was a Beech seedling she's have been quite happy with that answer too:snorky:.......blissfull ignorance and all that. Wouldn't have thought of Mahonia being part of the Berberis family but come to think of it the stems are quite similar being bright yellow internally.
                       
                    • shiney

                      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                      It certainly looks similar to the Hebes we have at the bottom of the garden. I'll see whether I can find time to go down there and photograph them - have to ask permission of the fairies as well. :)
                       
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                      • Silver surfer

                        Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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                        "it was heavily pruned early last year."

                        Been thinking...I have never known a Hebe to recover and re grow at that speed.
                        I have a feeling it is not a woody shrub....but an evergreen subshrub/perennial..
                        But to be as strong as that now, it must be very hardy. ie not igloo land!
                        Where does your friend live? If it was the sunny south I would be thinking of Salvia.
                        Whether it is a Hebe or something else it is vital that your friend does not prune it.... as that will remove any flowers for 2017.

                        I would love to know for sure what it is!


                        Salvia leucantha - Google Search:

                        "S. leucantha is an evergreen subshrub to 1.2m in height, with narrowly lance-shaped leaves white beneath, and small white flowers with conspicuous downy purple clayces!
                         
                      • Anthony Rogers

                        Anthony Rogers Guest

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                        My first thoughts were either Euphorbia or Penstemon..
                         
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                        • silu

                          silu gardening easy...hmmm

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                          No friend lives in a similar "igloo" location @Silver surfer:). It gets a bit of protection from a wall and fence but still not a balmy location. I'll tell her on pain of death not to prune it and get her to take a photo of it when/if it flowers.
                          The 1ft photo she took of the plant which wasn't as clear made me think it was Choysia Aztec Pearl which I have but it's not that. I'm stumped. Typical that a non gardener ends up with something that might be quite rare/unusual which could be highly desireable to us plant nuts. We'll see, and thanks for trying to help. Had a look at the Salvia doubt friend's plant would be looking so healthy if it was that to be honest.
                           
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