Shrub identification please

Any idea what this is please?




Seen in Beth Chatto's garden, forgot to ask anyone there what it was :o

Some other pictures of the ponds in her garden in my blog

Thanks

 

Wild guess, indigofera.

 

I don`t think it`s Indigo, Pete. The leaves aren`t right. I know the plant, but I can`t for the life of me, remember it`s name.

 

I think it`s a perennial rather than a shrub.

 

Looks like some kind of sumac to me.

Like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nestmaker/2705456962/

 

I think you are spot on, Ivory. Rhus laciniata.:thumb:

 

Certainly is a nice filler plant, have to check the zone.

 

Yep.
I think you might be right Ivory:thumb:

Those pink flowers are a bit of a red herring.:D

 

It is very funny I had never consciously seen this plant before only read a very vivid description, when I saw the above pic I thought "Oh! that must be it!" so I googled a bit,and thereit was
There are plenty of Rhus in Italy but not really this kind.

 

I always associate rhus as being a smallish tree.
If that is one, its pretty small.

 

I think it may depend on the pruning, Pete. Lots of small trees or large shrubs behave practically like large perennials if you cut back very hard every year. But the sumac I was thinking of from italy were all smallish 1-1,5 m tall maximum. I guess there are different kinds too.

 

If you prune Rhus back hard every year you get huge leaves and a wonderful bushy plants. They look gross when left to form that umbrella shape when small trees.

 

Rhus Typhina (stags horn sumach)is the one like a small tree looks lovely in autumn but a devil for suckering.

 

I hate the staghorn sumac :( :( :(

Blast :( :( :(

I was surprised how red the stems are (and if the flowers / fruits had not died off I would have recognised it). But its not in Beth Chatto's catalogue, so I presume its not some fancy cultivar. Blast again :(

 

Kristen if you liked it the way you saw in the pic why don't you just prune it. I hate them as trees but as low shrubs they are gorgeous. Lovely drooping ferny leaves and lovely autumn colour.:thumb: