..
My appologies for just barging in as a first time visitor with a
question but I am stuck. I have spent hours online trying to identify
this lovely bush, its flowers with the most beautiful fragrance, but
with little success. It grows here in Michigan USA woodland
clearings, I have seen it up around 8 feet high, green leaves that are
silver underneath ovate toothless wavy edges alternating pinnate
reddish leafstalks and branches, small whitish tubular flower clusters
along the branch in Spring pointing down with a strong pleasing
fragrance, and reddish berries in fall. I have a few photos at the
link below, click on the photos to enlarge...


http://snurl.com/Flower_Shrub


Michael Baribeau

one of the Ribes sp perhaps ( Currant) ??

I have Ribes odoratum ( clove scented black currant) and it is my harbinger
of spring.

Sue





"Michael Baribeau" wrote in message
om...
.
My appologies for just barging in as a first time visitor with a
question but I am stuck. I have spent hours online trying to identify
this lovely bush, its flowers with the most beautiful fragrance, but
with little success. It grows here in Michigan USA woodland
clearings, I have seen it up around 8 feet high, green leaves that are
silver underneath ovate toothless wavy edges alternating pinnate
reddish leafstalks and branches, small whitish tubular flower clusters
along the branch in Spring pointing down with a strong pleasing
fragrance, and reddish berries in fall. I have a few photos at the
link below, click on the photos to enlarge...


http://snurl.com/Flower_Shrub


Michael Baribeau

..
Thank you, Sue. I followed up your lead and looked up clove currant
(and gooseberries too). There is a resemblance but all the photos
I've seen show compound leaves with no mention of the silver underside
or wavy edges, also my flowers are very pale, nearly white. My plant
does have a strong sweet sort of spicy fragrance but I don't think I
would describe it as clove (too late in the year to take a sniff to
confirm:-) Thanks again!

Michael Baribeau









"Sue" wrote in message ...
one of the Ribes sp perhaps ( Currant) ??

I have Ribes odoratum ( clove scented black currant) and it is my harbinger
of spring.

Sue





"Michael Baribeau" wrote in message
om...
.
My appologies for just barging in as a first time visitor with a
question but I am stuck. I have spent hours online trying to identify
this lovely bush, its flowers with the most beautiful fragrance, but
with little success. It grows here in Michigan USA woodland
clearings, I have seen it up around 8 feet high, green leaves that are
silver underneath ovate toothless wavy edges alternating pinnate
reddish leafstalks and branches, small whitish tubular flower clusters
along the branch in Spring pointing down with a strong pleasing
fragrance, and reddish berries in fall. I have a few photos at the
link below, click on the photos to enlarge...


http://snurl.com/Flower_Shrub


Michael Baribeau

the plant in question is some species of Lonicera(honeysuckle). I have seen
them growing everywhere in the northern lower penninsula where they have
basically taken over. Im not sure if it is Lonicera fragratissima or L. mackii
or some wierd hybrid. Anyway they sure smell nice, you can drive down the road
and the air is thick with thier fragrance.

Toad

..
Thank you, Toad. It does resemble Honeysuckle but it is neither
Lonicera fragrantissima or L. maackii whose blooms are irregular and
leaves in opposition while mine has radially symmetrical blooms and
alternating leaves (plus the silver underside) and I couldn't find a
close match with others. As you said maybe a hybrid, I will continue
the search.

Michael Baribeau








(Marley1372) wrote in message ...
the plant in question is some species of Lonicera(honeysuckle). I have seen
them growing everywhere in the northern lower penninsula where they have
basically taken over. Im not sure if it is Lonicera fragratissima or L. mackii
or some wierd hybrid. Anyway they sure smell nice, you can drive down the road
and the air is thick with thier fragrance.

Toad

On 20 Sep 2003 19:12:48 -0700,
(Michael Baribeau) wrote:
.
My appologies for just barging in as a first time visitor with a
question but I am stuck. I have spent hours online trying to identify
this lovely bush, its flowers with the most beautiful fragrance, but
with little success. It grows here in Michigan USA woodland
clearings, I have seen it up around 8 feet high, green leaves that are
silver underneath ovate toothless wavy edges alternating pinnate
reddish leafstalks and branches, small whitish tubular flower clusters
along the branch in Spring pointing down with a strong pleasing
fragrance, and reddish berries in fall. I have a few photos at the
link below, click on the photos to enlarge...

http://snurl.com/Flower_Shrub

Hi Michael,

Ugh! It sounds like the evil Autumn Olive (elaeagnus
umbellata). Try doing a Google search using the latin name.

It has been listed as a noxious weed in West Virginia. Other
states have listed it as an invasive species.

The following link may help:

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant...gi?symbol=ELUM

They really do have a potent fragrance, almost intoxicating
in the spring time. They are also really difficult to
kill/eradicate. I have a lot of them around the place. I
didn't even need to look at your photos. The description you
gave was plenty...

They use to be a recommended planting for wildlife, but not
anymore here in Michigan. I wouldn't recommend encouraging
them to grow in your area at all. You will regret it...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

Leon Fisk wrote in message . ..
On 20 Sep 2003 19:12:48 -0700,
(Michael Baribeau) wrote:
.
My appologies for just barging in as a first time visitor with a
question but I am stuck. I have spent hours online trying to identify
this lovely bush, its flowers with the most beautiful fragrance, but
with little success. It grows here in Michigan USA woodland
clearings, I have seen it up around 8 feet high, green leaves that are
silver underneath ovate toothless wavy edges alternating pinnate
reddish leafstalks and branches, small whitish tubular flower clusters
along the branch in Spring pointing down with a strong pleasing
fragrance, and reddish berries in fall. I have a few photos at the
link below, click on the photos to enlarge...

http://snurl.com/Flower_Shrub

Hi Michael,

Ugh! It sounds like the evil Autumn Olive (elaeagnus
umbellata). Try doing a Google search using the latin name.

It has been listed as a noxious weed in West Virginia. Other
states have listed it as an invasive species.

The following link may help:

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant...gi?symbol=ELUM

They really do have a potent fragrance, almost intoxicating
in the spring time. They are also really difficult to
kill/eradicate. I have a lot of them around the place. I
didn't even need to look at your photos. The description you
gave was plenty...

They use to be a recommended planting for wildlife, but not
anymore here in Michigan. I wouldn't recommend encouraging
them to grow in your area at all. You will regret it...








That's it! Thank you, Leon! I love the fragrance too much to kill
these shrubs that grow wild in our wooded lot but I will heed your
warning and watch their spread.

Michael Baribeau