I have finally got a place of my own and I have taken some cuttings from my mothers plants most of them I can identify but these three puzzle me.

1. The first pant has thick leaves that are not shiny they are mainly green with frosted tips on the end and produce lovely red berries for the birds.

2. The second plant resembles the Euonmus but at its full size it only goes to knee height and the plant is 26 years old!!!

3. The final plant I know is some form of fern but has a blue tinge and is incredibly soft to touch not like ones I have seen at the garden centre.

4. The fourth plant keeps its leaves right up until January they come back end of February with gorgeous baby pink flowers.

I have taken heel cuttings and they seem to be doing ok so far although it’s only been a week I am optimistic. Sadly the same cannot be said about the fourth plant and I think I might need to do a hardwood cutting (rather than semi-ripe) as I tried softwood cutting earlier in spring which failed, does anyone else have a suggestion?

Hi Ihbutler, the first one is a shrub called Skimmia and will root readily. It grows well anywhere but will also grow in heavy shade. It has very scented spring flowers. Your mothers plant is either one of the hermaphrodite varieties (male and female flowers on the same plant) or a female variety (hence the berries)
No2 . Yes, it is a Euonymous but as you have said, its a low prostrate variety called 'Emerald and gold' and looks nice all year. Again this will root quite easily from cuttings. Often if you look underneath the shrub, you'll find odd shoots that have rooted into the ground, that can be removed and transplanted !
No3. Its a conifer and not a fern and goes by the name of Chamaecyparis pisifera Squarrosa 'Boulevard' (probably the most likely variety from the picture) Its a slow growing conifer but with beautiful 'steely-blue' foliage. a little more difficult from cuttings but heeled cuttings should work !
No4 Now i'm not sure about this as its hard to tell the size of the leaves but its either some type of salvia or some other similar perennial. I'd leave it until the spring, then cut it back and take softwood cuttings from the new growth but theres no harm in trying now !
regards, lannerman

On 15/11/2011 16:49, Janet wrote:
In , lhbutler.9382f36

3. The final plant I know is some form of fern but has a blue tinge and
is incredibly soft to touch not like ones I have seen at the garden
centre.

Looks more like a conifer.


Could be Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard'.

--

Jeff

The leaves on the first also look like a camelia.

Scotkat

Not really. Camellia leaves have serrated edges and are alternately arranged up the stem. Also we are told the plant has red berries, which Camellias don't.

It is clearly a skimmia as others have said.

I agree, it does, though a close-up of the leaves would help. But where is OP living if it flowers in Feb? Wouldn't he have something more exciting to show us if living in such a climate? Mine flowers in summer.

In message , echinosum
writes

Janet;941871 Wrote:
4. The fourth plant keeps its leaves right up until January they
come
back end of February with gorgeous baby pink flowers.

Looks like Weigela 'Florida Variegata'
I agree, it does, though a close-up of the leaves would help. But
where
is OP living if it flowers in Feb? Wouldn't he have something more
exciting to show us if living in such a climate? Mine flowers in
summer.[/i][/color]

A possible, if a little strained, interpretation is that it's just the
leaves that come back in February, and the flowers occur at a different
time. "Baby pink flowers" in February would be a Viburnum (e.g.
bodnantense) or early-flowering Prunus, but neither looks anything like
the photo.

--
echinosum

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Hi,
I'd go along with these I.Ds.
1= skimmia probably japonica
2= euonymous fortunii gold and green
3= is definately 'boulavard'
4= wigeallia [diavilla] florida var. even if it has got odd flowering habits.
P.S. try a half ripe cutting with a small trimmed heel for this one, some times the whole batch strike , next time 0 no idea why.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

The fourth plant looks like Cornus 'Variegata' - known as the wedding cake tree, Leaves are bright green with broad, creamy white margins and turn yellow in autumn.