On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 23:00:21 +0000, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:

~In article , John DH nospammJohn@celt
~icgods.co.uknospamm writes
~Hello,
~
~I have a mature Pieris, which has suddenly sprouted a single shoot which
~looks like a rhododendron. What could be causing this? all the other new
~growths are normal. Should I remove it and is it worth propagating?
~
~I have not seen this before, pictures are here www.hydrogene.co.uk/plants
~
~Rhododendron and Pieris are not particularly closely related - they
~belong to the same family (Ericaceae), but different subfamilies
~(Rhododendroideae and Vaccinioideae). A Rhododendron-like sport on a
~Pieris would be 'surprising'.
~
~Are you sure that the plant isn't a variegated Rhododendron? (There's a
~variegated form of Rhododendron ponticum, and I wouldn't be surprised if
~there weren't others.) The bud on the 'sport' definitely looks like a
~Rhododendron bud, but the buds on the parent plant, while not so clear,
~also look like Rhododendron buds - the inflorescence of Pieris takes a
~different form, and you can tell the difference by this time of year.

I tend to agree with this question - at this time of year you should
have lots of little pendant buds appearing on a pieris, whereas a
rhodie should have a whorl of leaves with a big bud in the centre with
the new season's flowers. This really doesn't look like my pieris, but
does look like my rhodie!
How long have you had it, and have you seen it flower? If yes to the
latter, when did it flower and what did it look like?



--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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