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puzzling purple bush
I have a little puzzle for everyone.
In the summer (end July) I was given a seedling from an unusual plant. The donor had no idea of its name. The seedling is currently thriving in a pot, is outside though has not yet lost any leaves, and is growing a single stem upwards. I dare not pinch it out until I know what it is. The flowers can best be described as being similar to the houseplant known as the shrimp plant. The red-purple bracts are four-sided, with smallish purple flowers. I wish I'd picked one off the main bush and pressed it, for I'm working entirely from memory here. The leaves are heart-shaped. The original is a fast-growing metre+ high bush which seeds freely and loves alkaline soil (it was in Weymouth). Anyone any idea? I've been through the RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers, looking at the summer mid-sized and large shrubs, and have found nothing similar. Not even sure it *is* a shrub as I didn't get a close enough look at the mother plant. Might be a hardy perennial. Google doesn't turn up anything for purple shrimp bush :-) -- jane Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist but you have ceased to live. Mark Twain Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks! |
puzzling purple bush
jane wrote:
I have a little puzzle for everyone. In the summer (end July) I was given a seedling from an unusual plant. The donor had no idea of its name. The seedling is currently thriving in a pot, is outside though has not yet lost any leaves, and is growing a single stem upwards. I dare not pinch it out until I know what it is. The flowers can best be described as being similar to the houseplant known as the shrimp plant. The red-purple bracts are four-sided, with smallish purple flowers. I wish I'd picked one off the main bush and pressed it, for I'm working entirely from memory here. SNIPPED Leycestria formosa?... Pheasant berry.. (this IS in the RHS encylo BTW-) http://images.google.com/images?q=Le...e=UTF-8&client =googlet&sa=N&tab=wi That has 'stacked' reddish purple flowers and leaves 'could' be described as heary shaped.. In its early life it'd grow a single stem up as well, and it does seed freely.. Jim |
puzzling purple bush
Try Leycesteria formosaa
-- David Hill Abacus nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk ***2004 catalogue now available*** |
puzzling purple bush
On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 10:00:50 +0000, Jane Ransom
wrote: ~In article 1g59gff.2pzi8tcluq36N%00senetnospamtodayta@macunl imited.net ~, Jim W writes ~jane wrote: ~ ~ I have a little puzzle for everyone. ~ ~ In the summer (end July) I was given a seedling from an unusual plant. ~ The donor had no idea of its name. ~ The seedling is currently thriving in a pot, is outside though has not ~ yet lost any leaves, and is growing a single stem upwards. ~ ~Leycestria formosa?... Pheasant berry.. (this IS in the RHS encylo ~BTW-) ~ ~You will need to move it into the ground soon. That stem will grow to ~about eight feet!! Additionally, lots of other stems will come up from ~the bottom - bit like bamboo. We usually cut out all the stems of two ~years or more to keep the plant under control and flowering freely. ~The berries are loved by birds and you will find seedlings coming up all ~over the place - so it isn't that unusual!!!!!!!! THANKYOU BOTH!!!!! Yes, it's in the book ... just not illustrated in the colour-coded identification section of my oldish edition!!! Wonderful - a bird bush. Just what I need. I know exactly where that's going to go... besides the buddleia globosa so I can attract butterflies and birds both :-) though I guess mine will be slightly hard done by as full sun isn't available in the shrub section. Still, it's got two chances... I guess the definition of unusual is something you personally haven't come across before. :-) -- jane Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist but you have ceased to live. Mark Twain Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks! |
puzzling purple bush
On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 10:00:50 +0000, Jane Ransom
wrote: ~In article 1g59gff.2pzi8tcluq36N%00senetnospamtodayta@macunl imited.net ~, Jim W writes ~jane wrote: ~ ~ I have a little puzzle for everyone. ~ ~ In the summer (end July) I was given a seedling from an unusual plant. ~ The donor had no idea of its name. ~ The seedling is currently thriving in a pot, is outside though has not ~ yet lost any leaves, and is growing a single stem upwards. ~ ~Leycestria formosa?... Pheasant berry.. (this IS in the RHS encylo ~BTW-) ~ ~You will need to move it into the ground soon. That stem will grow to ~about eight feet!! Additionally, lots of other stems will come up from ~the bottom - bit like bamboo. We usually cut out all the stems of two ~years or more to keep the plant under control and flowering freely. ~The berries are loved by birds and you will find seedlings coming up all ~over the place - so it isn't that unusual!!!!!!!! THANKYOU BOTH!!!!! Yes, it's in the book ... just not illustrated in the colour-coded identification section of my oldish edition!!! Wonderful - a bird bush. Just what I need. I know exactly where that's going to go... besides the buddleia globosa so I can attract butterflies and birds both :-) though I guess mine will be slightly hard done by as full sun isn't available in the shrub section. Still, it's got two chances... I guess the definition of unusual is something you personally haven't come across before. :-) -- jane Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist but you have ceased to live. Mark Twain Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks! |
puzzling purple bush
jane1/12/03 11:11
On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 10:00:50 +0000, Jane Ransom wrote: ~In article 1g59gff.2pzi8tcluq36N%00senetnospamtodayta@macunl imited.net ~, Jim W writes ~jane wrote: ~ ~ I have a little puzzle for everyone. ~ ~ In the summer (end July) I was given a seedling from an unusual plant. ~ The donor had no idea of its name. ~ The seedling is currently thriving in a pot, is outside though has not ~ yet lost any leaves, and is growing a single stem upwards. ~ ~Leycestria formosa?... Pheasant berry.. (this IS in the RHS encylo ~BTW-) ~ ~You will need to move it into the ground soon. That stem will grow to ~about eight feet!! Additionally, lots of other stems will come up from ~the bottom - bit like bamboo. We usually cut out all the stems of two ~years or more to keep the plant under control and flowering freely. ~The berries are loved by birds and you will find seedlings coming up all ~over the place - so it isn't that unusual!!!!!!!! THANKYOU BOTH!!!!! Yes, it's in the book ... just not illustrated in the colour-coded identification section of my oldish edition!!! Wonderful - a bird bush. Just what I need. I know exactly where that's going to go... besides the buddleia globosa so I can attract butterflies and birds both :-) though I guess mine will be slightly hard done by as full sun isn't available in the shrub section. Still, it's got two chances... I guess the definition of unusual is something you personally haven't come across before. :-) Considering how common it is, it's amazing how many people don't know Leycesteria formosa. It's a lovely plant but as has been said already, it does seed all over the place. We have one straggly and unattractive specimen growing out of a granite wall at the entrance to our drive and this has reminded me to go and hoick it out! But be warned, it does spread, as does Buddleia, so give both breathing space. I know as we all do, that most Buddleias attract butterflies but I'm trying to think whether I have seen them on B globosa much and I don't recall that I have. Anyone? -- Sacha (remove the 'x' to email me) |
puzzling purple bush
Sacha wrote:
jane1/12/03 11:11 On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 10:00:50 +0000, Jane Ransom wrote: ~In article 1g59gff.2pzi8tcluq36N%00senetnospamtodayta@macunl imited.net ~, Jim W writes ~jane wrote: ~ ~ I have a little puzzle for everyone. ~ ~ In the summer (end July) I was given a seedling from an unusual plant. ~ The donor had no idea of its name. ~ The seedling is currently thriving in a pot, is outside though has not ~ yet lost any leaves, and is growing a single stem upwards. ~ ~Leycestria formosa?... Pheasant berry.. (this IS in the RHS encylo ~BTW-) ~ ~You will need to move it into the ground soon. That stem will grow to ~about eight feet!! Additionally, lots of other stems will come up from ~the bottom - bit like bamboo. We usually cut out all the stems of two ~years or more to keep the plant under control and flowering freely. ~The berries are loved by birds and you will find seedlings coming up all ~over the place - so it isn't that unusual!!!!!!!! THANKYOU BOTH!!!!! Yes, it's in the book ... just not illustrated in the colour-coded identification section of my oldish edition!!! Wonderful - a bird bush. Just what I need. I know exactly where that's going to go... besides the buddleia globosa so I can attract butterflies and birds both :-) though I guess mine will be slightly hard done by as full sun isn't available in the shrub section. Still, it's got two chances... I guess the definition of unusual is something you personally haven't come across before. :-) Considering how common it is, it's amazing how many people don't know Leycesteria formosa. It's a lovely plant but as has been said already, it does seed all over the place. We have one straggly and unattractive specimen growing out of a granite wall at the entrance to our drive and this has reminded me to go and hoick it out! But be warned, it does spread, as does Buddleia, so give both breathing space. I know as we all do, that most Buddleias attract butterflies but I'm trying to think whether I have seen them on B globosa much and I don't recall that I have. Anyone? Yep, but they seem to prefer the longer flowering season of a x weyeranii.. Ours is still flowering ( or trying to, just) here even after 2 sharpish frosts. AS for Leycestria,.. yes it 'looks' unusual but its really common as muck;-) despite what the RHS says it does resonably well in shade, I belive it gets its common name from use as a cover planting for pheasant rearing areas, etc.. Jim |
puzzling purple bush
I have a little puzzle for everyone.
The flowers can best be described as being similar to the houseplant known as the shrimp plant. The red-purple bracts are four-sided, with smallish purple flowers. I wish I'd picked one off the main bush and pressed it, for I'm working entirely from memory here. The leaves are heart-shaped. The original is a fast-growing metre+ high bush which seeds freely and loves alkaline soil (it was in Weymouth). Google doesn't turn up anything for purple shrimp bush :-) A little late in answering but it might be Cerinthe major purpurescens. |
puzzling purple bush
I have a little puzzle for everyone.
The flowers can best be described as being similar to the houseplant known as the shrimp plant. The red-purple bracts are four-sided, with smallish purple flowers. I wish I'd picked one off the main bush and pressed it, for I'm working entirely from memory here. The leaves are heart-shaped. The original is a fast-growing metre+ high bush which seeds freely and loves alkaline soil (it was in Weymouth). Google doesn't turn up anything for purple shrimp bush :-) A little late in answering but it might be Cerinthe major purpurescens. |
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