Hello!
I inherited several shrubs/trees when we bought our house, but I don't know what they are. Any assistance would be appreciated! I'm really enjoying trimming and shaping them, so far. :)
the first has variegated leaves - the older growth is deep green in the middle and white on the outside, the new growth bright lime green, and newest growth is yellow at the outside of the leaf, with green growing in.
the leaves are oval (with an end point), tend to be abt 1.5" long and .75" across. and the edges are ever-so-slightly serrated.
they *really* look like this, but mine doesn't get any higher than 18" or so, and the griselinia plants shown go
4-8 meters, so i'm confused:the other one i want to identify grows *VERY* quickly, has small green leaves and gets pretty tiny purple flowers in the fall (i found out these are "simple flowers", and they attract bees), and then small oval red berries. the flowers are sorta like 4 leaves that come up and out from the center (sorta like a trumpet with handkerchief sleeves), and they're white towards the base. (mind you, it's been awhile since i've seen the flowers.)
the branches are thorny, and can shoot up around a foot in a week's time (it's astonishing at times!). the first time i trimmed it, it stood around 6' tall, with ridiculously long arms that came up from the center, tipped over when the branch got too heavy, and flowed down to the ground. i cut off arms that were more than 12' long, leaving behind another 6' or so, that first time. (yes, I meant *feet*, not inches. :) )
i can't be any fonder of my shrubs than i already am, but it'd be nice to know how to refer to them properly! :)
thanks!
jt