This blog is word verification free... is yours?
The photos and content on this blog are ©Crafty Gardener. Please do not use without permission.
Thanks ivillage.ca for including me in the 9 Canadian blogs to visit.
My Photo
Ontario, Canada
My blog, like life, is a mixture of all sorts of things . . . gardening, nature, crafts and photography.

December 05, 2011

Monday Mystery Plant

©

I'm hoping some of my blog friends, probably those from the west coast, can help me identify this mystery plant.


This is a huge plant that grows in our daughter's garden in Sooke, British Columbia.  It was in the garden when she moved in and there was no plant identification marker with it.  She tells me the leaves die off in the winter and grow bigger and better the following spring.


Here is a close up of the leaves with those fascinating edges.


Here is the plant again covered in the first snowfall of the season for them.  The leaves got very droopy with the heavy, wet snow but once the snow melted they stood up again.



Naturally I couldn't resist creating a mosaic/collage of the photos to share with Mosaic Monday.

If you think you know the name of my Monday mystery plant, please leave me a comment.   I'll be checking out all your replies in hopes of a positive identification.


Labels: , ,

19 thoughts from visitors:

  1. Nope, no idea. Must be a west coast specialty.

    ReplyDelete

  2. Hi Linda, I have idea what it is, but looks wonderful. The water droplets look neat on it. Hope you have a great week:)

    ReplyDelete

  3. I'm sure it's a west coast plant too and I'm a sucker for taking photos of plants with rain on them.

    ReplyDelete

  4. It's a mystery to me but it sure is beautiful! Wonderful mosaic. Have a great week! Pamela

    ReplyDelete

  5. Does it get a pale yellowish green flowers that look kind of like roses? I have a bunch in my flower beds that was given to me by my sister. It looks just like this, so I will ask her what it is. btw - it really transplants well and I have added it in many places in my yards.

    ReplyDelete

  6. No idea what it is but I love it...it's beautiful!!

    ReplyDelete

  7. Not one I know but it is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

  8. Hi Rosemary, my daughter says it did not bloom. The plant is about 2 years old. I'd still be interested in the name you come up with as we can Google it and find more info. Thanks for your help so far.

    ReplyDelete

  9. Hi Linda. that looks very much like Melianthus Major which is indegineous to South Africa. It has blooms that are almost maroon in colour and rich in nectar and the birds love it! Hope this helps

    Veronica
    Tassels Twigs and Tastebuds

    ReplyDelete

  10. Thank you very much Veronica. I've googled the name you mentioned and it sure looks just like my mystery plant. We appreciate your help. Our daughter says it hasn't had any blooms yet, but now she knows what to look out for.

    ReplyDelete

  11. Hi Linda
    Don't you wish we grow this beauty in our gardens? Oh, those leaves...they would add so much to my flowerbed.
    Judith

    ReplyDelete

  12. Looks very healthy doesn't it. It looks like I should know what it is but I would have to dig out the identification book. V

    ReplyDelete

  13. I don't know what the plant is, but it's woderful! I love plants with interesting leaves and structure. Good luck with finding the name.

    ReplyDelete

  14. Linda, it's Malianthus major (honey Bush). I grow mine from seed and mulch them well with bark every winter or they die. It's South African and flowers there. It was big at Chelsea a few years back. My favourite plant.

    ReplyDelete

  15. Hi Janet, thanks for the id It's nice to know you can grow it where you live. I wonder if it would grow where I live ?

    ReplyDelete

  16. My parents lived in Sooke and I grew up on the Island but I've never seen a plant like that. It's interesting to think that a South African plant would do well in Sooke!

    ReplyDelete

  17. The fact that the bush has come back bigger and better each year means it wil grow where you are. I haveclost some over the years hen we've had a lot of cold wind and snow and i haven't mulched it well enough. And i don't cut the old brandhes off until spring. It's such an architectural plant. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete

  18. Hi Linda, I am glad you already have its ID. It looks so vigorous and the patterns of the leaves are so beautiful. Whenever i have some unknown plants i also turn to bloggers.

    ReplyDelete

  19. I asked my friend (a Virginia Tech graduate in Horticulture) and he said "Melianthus major or Honeybush. I think Thompson-Morgan sells the seeds. I’ve tried growing it after seeing the exotic leaves over in Colonial Williamsburg plantings but haven’t had much luck with it. I was growing it as an annual because I don’t think it is winter hardy here(Virginia)."

    John D. McFarlane
    Associate Director of Gardens and Grounds
    The College of William and Mary
    PO Box 8795
    Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate you stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment.

No word verification here but if the post is over a few days old your comment will have to be approved. It seems those spammers choose older posts in hopes their lurid messages will show up.

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day.

Linda, aka Crafty Gardener

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...