Baffling Berberis seedling
 

I have found one that looks very weird. The petioles are up to
2-3 cm, and the leaves are very ovate (NOT obovate), and toothed.
I have B. vulgaris and B. thunbergii, but it doesn't match either,
unless the juvenile form of the former is very different from the
adult. Or it could be a natural hybrid.

Any guesses?

And how long do deciduous berberis take to flower from seed, because
that would identify it?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Baffling Berberis seedling
 

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes

I have found one that looks very weird. The petioles are up to
2-3 cm, and the leaves are very ovate (NOT obovate), and toothed.
I have B. vulgaris and B. thunbergii, but it doesn't match either,
unless the juvenile form of the former is very different from the
adult. Or it could be a natural hybrid.

Any guesses?

And how long do deciduous berberis take to flower from seed, because
that would identify it?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Googling tells me that the hybrid of B. vulgaris and B. thunbergii
exists, and is called B. x ottawensis. You'll probably want to check it
out yourself, but that doesn't seem to match the description of your
plant.

Is the seedling of known provenance, or is it a volunteer? If the latter
it could have been delivered by a bird, and have come from a
considerable distance away.

There's also a cross between B. vulgaris and M. aquifolium (x
Mahoberberis neubertii).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Baffling Berberis seedling
 

In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes:
|
| Googling tells me that the hybrid of B. vulgaris and B. thunbergii
| exists, and is called B. x ottawensis. You'll probably want to check it
| out yourself, but that doesn't seem to match the description of your
| plant.

Thanks very much. I will.

| Is the seedling of known provenance, or is it a volunteer? If the latter
| it could have been delivered by a bird, and have come from a
| considerable distance away.

A volunteer, but deciduous Berberis aren't commonly grown. I am
betting on the juvenile leaves of B. vulgaris being very different
from the adult ones, and the books not mentioning it.

| There's also a cross between B. vulgaris and M. aquifolium (x
| Mahoberberis neubertii).

It doesn't look right for that - i.e. it has NO Mahonia features.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.