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Two plants - one with purple flower, other with none

Last post 09-09-2008 8:53 AM by chrissyd. 12 replies.

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  • 07/09/2008 01:28 PM
    • chrissyd
    • Cornwall
    • 29 May 2008
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    Dear All, can you help identify the plants at the link below?

    The first is a very leafy plant that takes ages to get going and flowers in August-Sept (purple, 3-4 inches, you can see two buds in the photo). It has thick, woody stems which have contorted themselves away from a previously overgrown climber.

    The second is a big, fat bush that grows like topsy and always looks scruffy unless it's pruned regularly. It loses its leaves in winter and becomes a blob of twigs. I've never seen it flower. The light in the photo (yes, we are actually having some SUN today...) makes the leaves look silvery but they are just a pale green. Bottom left is a climber with broader leaves that is trying to get some air and light.

    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=56912&l=8d1ad&id=669990648

    Thanks in advance, chrissyd. 

     

     

     
  • 07/09/2008 04:20 PM
    In reply to
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
    • 4,547
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     The one with the big leaves and buds is hibiscus.

    Not sure about the other one. Can you post a close up of the leaves?

    Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
  • 07/09/2008 04:30 PM
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    Please can someone help, I cannot see the pics. Even when I copy and paste it into google. What am I doing wrong?
  • 07/09/2008 04:34 PM
    In reply to
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
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    I don't know what (if anything) you're doing wrong, Silver Surfer. Is this link any better?

     

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1309302&id=669990648&l=8d1ad

     

    Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
  • 07/09/2008 04:41 PM
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    Thank you for trying to help me Phot's-Moll, but no, I still cannot get pics. When I copy and paste it comes up with "did not match any documents" It is SO frustrating!!!
  • 07/09/2008 04:53 PM
    In reply to
    • chrissyd
    • Cornwall
    • 29 May 2008
    • 82
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    Hi Silver Surfer, I wonder of you're anti virus software might be the problem...?? I can email them to you, if you trust me not to spam your address forever ! I've tried to upload pics to this website using the tree icon but never managed to get it to work. If anyone can help me with this, it might help you too. I'll wait till sun goes down a bit more before taking another pic of the scruffy plant. Thanks, chrissyd.
  • 07/09/2008 05:06 PM
    In reply to
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
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     I don't think the tree icon works ... It certainly doesn't for me.

    If you upload a picture to Photobucket, you can post the link so that the actual picture appears on this site and not just the link. (It can be done with other sites too, but Photobucket is the one I use and know how to work)

    Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
  • 07/09/2008 05:16 PM
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    I would far rather see the pics here, than have a link. I can then tell if it is something I may recognise.
  • 07/09/2008 07:56 PM
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    • chrissyd
    • Cornwall
    • 29 May 2008
    • 82
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    Hi Phot's-Moll - I've uploaded a couple more pics of the leaves - hope this helps ! Thanks, chrissyd.
  • 07/09/2008 08:28 PM
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    Thank you chrissyd for the e mail with pics.

    1. Looks like Hibiscus. Praps H. syriacus.See....

     http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/images/P72312241.jpg

    2.  Possibly Spiraea Arguta. Normally this is a straggly floppy shrub, praps by pruning it you are removing all the flowers that would normally appear in the spring

     

    http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=spirea%20arguta&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
  • 08/09/2008 01:16 PM
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    • chrissyd
    • Cornwall
    • 29 May 2008
    • 82
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    Hi Silver Surfer and Phot's-Moll - definitely a Hibiscus, then - the pic link flower is identical in shape - even the wilting flower looks the same.

    I've looked at the spirea pics. Oh dear. Are they really normally that flowery? Hmmm. Perhaps I need to put down the secateurs this winter. It does take over, though, and crowds out everything else around it - although that is a recurring theme in this garden (which came with the house !).

    Thanks again both, best wishes, chrissyd.

     
  • 08/09/2008 10:13 PM
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    Spirea: I am with S-S on this one.  To prune I go in after flowering and remove at least a third of the shoots cutting back to near the the base to thin the bush, prevent it shading out other things and keep it small. The remaining big branches supress partially regrowth through apical dominance helping to maintain size. You can still do this now but the you won't get the same benefit as you would from a smart post flowering prune.

    If you cut back in winter you elicit a mighty toothbrush effect of young shoots next year and no flowers.

     

    Boggy

    Beware the bat-eared bogweevil
  • 09/09/2008 08:53 AM
    In reply to
    • chrissyd
    • Cornwall
    • 29 May 2008
    • 82
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    Yes, I have achieved successfully the massive toothbrush effect with no flowers. Do you suggest I leave as is until after the plant flowers (hopefully) next year? Thanks, chrissyd.