What is this bush/tree/plant?

[two sheds]

are you sure? I've got virginia creeper and it doesn't quite look like that

 

[gentlegreen]

perhaps izz could get us a more square-on photo ?

Mine grows indoors if it can !

 

[two sheds]

yes mine has enveloped the shed

 

[izz]

thank you two sheds and gentlegreen but I don't think its either bindweed or virginia creeper - we have the latter all over the roof sometimes and the leaves are different and I've never seen flowers (not that means anything as its 20' up). Bindweed has white flowers does it not ? and these are a pretty red with white bits in 'em.

 

[two sheds]

no, binderweed is different it feeds off the paper and curls round those windy things on the edge



/scarpers in disgrace

 

[gentlegreen]

You may be right though two sheds - I wonder if it's a different species ... mine's leaves are more pointy ...

 

[two sheds]

yep, but strange that it seems to have two distinct types of leaf.

 

[Leafster]

I think it's Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria Formosa)

Leycesteria formosa | Himalayan honeysuckle/RHS Gardening

 

[gentlegreen]

Juvenile foliage is quite often different - ivy and holly ...
I suppose the alternative to Virginia creeper is some sort of clematis ...

 

[gentlegreen]

... or honeysuckle !

Edible fruit too

Leycesteria

 

[gentlegreen]

Well I've learned something today - my creeper is actually "Parthenocissus vitacea (syn. P. inserta), also known as thicket creeper, false Virginia creeper, woodbine, or grape woodbine," Parthenocissus vitacea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[izz]

I think it's Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria Formosa)

Leycesteria formosa | Himalayan honeysuckle/RHS Gardening

well slap me sideways I believe you're correct - bladdy well done Leafster and thank you everyone else. It's a quite determined grower, finding a home in a pot and sending out big fat muthafucka roots out of the base, so much so the base is at an angle. So then, do I keep it or bin it ? It's quite a pretty poppet and makes a nice contrast to the carpet of Enchanter's Nightshade

 

[two sheds]

My sis pointed out Enchanter's Nightshade to me yesterday, and just checked on it:

In classical mythology Circe the witch is said to have used this plant to turn the shipmates of Ulysses into pigs - hence the scientific or botanical name. It does not appear to have been used in folk medicine, except for a charm given unknowingly to male lovers as an aphrodisiac in the Highlands of Scotland.

(botanical name Circaea lutetiana)

 

[campanula]

exactly, Gentlegreen - there are several plants which are commonly called Virginia Creeper or Boston Ivy...with different variations of each. There is, for example, a lovely parthenocissus henryana which is the epitome of elegance (I think).

I can't honestly enthuse over the edibility of leycesteria (aka pheasantberry)...unlike, surprisingly, fuschia berries...or amelanchier canadensis (Saskatoons)...but edible berries have been something of an obsession for the past few years - I have (nervously) tasted dozens of them.

 

[Calamity1971]

Can anyone identify this. Its just about to open and came in a pack of Lidl wildflower seeds. looks like it's going to be pinky/purple? Crap pic sorry.

 

[gentlegreen]

pinky-purple rules out common tansy ...

Is it prickly ?

 

[Calamity1971]

pinky-purple rules out common tansy ...

Is it prickly ?

Not prickly gentlegreen It looks like it will be in flower in the next couple of days, I will post another pic when it does. Not a wildflower I've came across before.

 

[Calamity1971]

gentlegreen

Flowers opened today before being battered by the lightning storms here in the north east, recognised it as a mallow. Looks to be musk mallow, will give it a sniff when it bounces back.

 

[two sheds]

I love mallows, I put three in the garden but only one survived and isn't doing well I think because it's shaded. I've put another one in full sun so am hoping this one will do well.

 

[gentlegreen]

I should have spotted the slightly cheese-like buds - even more obvious when they set seed.

A smelly mallow intrigues me

And it's definitely mallow season ..

I kept noticing this as I passed on my bike not wearing glasses and the other day I finally stopped to see what it was. Looks like you've identified mine as well

I didn't think to sniff it though ...

 

[gentlegreen]

I can't honestly enthuse over the edibility of leycesteria (aka pheasantberry)...unlike, surprisingly, fuschia berries...or amelanchier canadensis (Saskatoons)...but edible berries have been something of an obsession for the past few years - I have (nervously) tasted dozens of them.

I was trying to escape from an industrial estate the other day (on foot - I found my way in OK ...) and stumbled upon a really big Leycesteria in full flower - so I will be stopping off there from time to time when cycling home - so long as the landscapers don't prune it before the fruits set.

 

[campanula]

Yes, malva moschata. I have sown quite a few of these white mallows this year - they are finally getting going but definitely are not displaying the speed and vigour of malva sylvestris. I am a hopeless mallow addict (as you say, GentleGreen, we are in mallow season now)...and grow far too many huge plants - tree mallows and althea cannabina - a whopping 8 foot perennial, sphaeralcea, sidalcea, iliamna, abutilons..although annoyingly, the Halo hollyhocks appear to have vanished without trace.

 

[gentlegreen]

I stopped to taste my first ripe pheasantberry on the way home today - almost impossible to harvest and get home intact ...

First impression as is often the case with new things is ...

 

[Purdie]

.

 

[gentlegreen]

I hope so

 

[geminisnake]

You can eat the berries on this?? What's it's real name? I have some in the garden, the blackies eat a lot of the berries.

 

[Purdie]

You can eat the berries on this?? What's it's real name? I have some in the garden, the blackies eat a lot of the berries.

post 801

 

[crossthebreeze]

You can eat the berries on this?? What's it's real name? I have some in the garden, the blackies eat a lot of the berries.

Leycestaria formosa/ Himalayan Honeysuckle / Himalayan nutmeg / Pheasant Berry
If you want to try them, start slowly and eat them in small quantities, as some people get dodgy stomachs from them, and they can very in taste (from very sweet to very bitter) from plant to plant.

 

[campanula]

Fuschia berries are surprisingly (to me) edible and I also grow iochroma, a non-risky member of the solanaceae family which has a sweet tasting fruit. Looks like miniature daturas, Gentlegreen...but heaps hardier.

 

[gentlegreen]

A blue "datura" would be very cool, but for me it's all about the perfume.
To be honest I'm not that keen on solanum fruits - I didn't like physalis when I grew them, and have recently even gone off tomatoes ...

I'm a bit set in my ways ...
A colleague grew some Yacón a few years back and I found "dahlia" roots that tasted like pears just a bit too weird ...

It even took me far too long to try kale ...