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West Yorkshire, United Kingdom Gb

Hi there.
A friend gave me a shrub but doesn't know its name. I've searched and searched the internet but can't identify it. Someone has suggested that it is Carpenteria Californica but I'm not certain - it doesn't have a scent, and has lots of petals.
I've attached photos but apologise for their poor quality, so here's a description...
It's about 3ft high, in a pot, and has several stems coming from the earth. The leaves are bright green on both sides and approx 1-2cm long. The leaves are smooth and grow in clusters of three or more. It's been trained up some wires in the pot, and the stems are easy to bend, no thorns. In April and May, single white 'pearls' appeared directly on the stems. These opened up into 2cm white multi-petalled flowers with saffron coloured stamen. Neither the leaves nor flowers have any perfume.
I'd really like to know what it is so that I can care for it properly.
Many thanks for your help.


On plant Carpenteria californica

Shrub_1 Shrub_flower Shrub_leaves

Answers

 

i am not quiet sure but to me i would say it is a camelia..

3 Jun, 2010

 

The leaves certainly look like Camellia.It is not Carpenteria. The flowering period would match for some Camellias, as well. I can't think of anything else that would match.

3 Jun, 2010

 

Flowers look like a camellia as well.....

4 Jun, 2010

 

Can I ask what it does in the winter - disappear completely, lose its leaves, or is it evergreen? Not convinced its a Camellia, the leaves don't look as if they are toothed at all, look smooth on the edges, and Carpenteria flowers are fragrant, so not that either.

4 Jun, 2010

 

Thanks for your responses - I'm impressed! The leaves stay on in winter, they are smooth and quite small, growing in a sort of rosette of three or four. Hope that helps.

4 Jun, 2010

 

I had a feeling you were going to say evergreen from the look of the leaves, and I've been wracking my brains all day, and come up with precisely zilch - we need Fractal, bet he knows... I'd really like to know too!

4 Jun, 2010

 

It is never Chaenomeles? looks like it but not evergreen that I've ever seen.

9 Jun, 2010

 

Thanks Vincent. I think you could be right! The buds and leaves on google images look just like my shrub. It has no fragrance though, and the flowers have fallen but there doesn't seem to be any fruit buds on the stem. I might be wrong about it being evergreen (says she, sheepishly) - here in the Pennines, most of my garden was under piles of snow for months so I might have just assumed there were leaves on it! Thanks to everyone else too, for your suggestions.

9 Jun, 2010

 

I think this could be a Pomegranate. There is a Japanese semi-double named form that looks like this. At first I thought Chaenomeles but I think Punica now. Would like a better photo. Could you do a profile (side on shot) of the flower as I would like to see if there is a sunken ovary at the back of the flower (the swollen bit behind the flowers that turns into the fruit).

14 Jun, 2010

 

ps, those flowers look way larger than 2cm too.

14 Jun, 2010

 

Would Pomegratate grow like this in the Pennines, Fractal? I lost a dwarf one this year at about -5. I am still betting on Chaenomeles!

15 Jun, 2010

 

They are very large looking flowers aren't they Vincent? Yes, I would happily go with Chaenomeles also. The leaves definitely look like them, especially when three are sometimes held on the end of a short spur like that.

Incidentally, the dwarf Pomegranate has very small leaves compared to the normal form. Just wondered if this was an option but you are right of course about the hardiness. It wouldn't really stand up well to a cold British winter.

15 Jun, 2010

 

Actually, when I looked, it had started to produce some leaves. so all is not lost!
and yes the leaves are very small and it does not flower very well here because of the relatively dull summers.

18 Jun, 2010

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