Forum home› Plants

Can anyone identify this?

horticulturebgmjdZz3horticulturebgmjdZz3 Posts: 2
in Plants
Hello I work at a college in Suffolk and I have come across this plant. It has bright red stems and solid white leaves. I am not sure but it is possible that its a Pittosporum that has undergone some sort of change. It is planted next to a Pittosporum and has a rose growing through it. We have taken some cuttings of it as it seems to be really unusual and wondered if it had a name?



«1

Posts

  • InBloomInBloom Posts: 49
    A sport lacking chlorophyll off a branch? The cuttings won't take as they won't survive independently. Follow the branch back you should be able to find where it's attached to a normal plant with green leaves. 
    Often saw sports similar on Ceanothus, they just needed cutting out. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze I garden in South Notts on an improved clay soil Posts: 3,028
    That has a beauty of it's own I have never seen it occur on Pittsporum before. I do know there are fungi that do this and rely on other plants for nutrients.
    The most serious gardening I do would seem very strange to an onlooker,for it involves hours of walking round in circles,apparently doing nothing. Helen Dillon.
  • JennyJJennyJ DoncasterPosts: 7,649
    The only things I've seen produce branches with no green at all are euonymus (the variegated kinds). I imagine it could happen with other things.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze I garden in South Notts on an improved clay soil Posts: 3,028
    I wonder if this may be of interest to the RHS?
    The most serious gardening I do would seem very strange to an onlooker,for it involves hours of walking round in circles,apparently doing nothing. Helen Dillon.
  • bédébédé Surrey Hills, acid greensand.Posts: 1,263
    They look so much like flowers that I was saying: that is never a pittosporum.

    I have a collection of variegated ivies thay often throw all white stems, but without the beauty of this plant.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze I garden in South Notts on an improved clay soil Posts: 3,028
    Albino plants do exist such as Orchids they survive as they are parasitic. I think the same applies to fungi but I do feel a bit out of my depth with this. I would think that is rare?
    The most serious gardening I do would seem very strange to an onlooker,for it involves hours of walking round in circles,apparently doing nothing. Helen Dillon.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet PeterboroughPosts: 26,845
    A sport with no chance of life if separated from the main bush as @InBloom says. The genes for white are in the leaves and they're dominant in this branch. Chlorophyll needed to make it a viable cutting
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze I garden in South Notts on an improved clay soil Posts: 3,028
    @nutcutlet That makes sense enjoy it's beauty.
    The most serious gardening I do would seem very strange to an onlooker,for it involves hours of walking round in circles,apparently doing nothing. Helen Dillon.
  • horticulturebgmjdZz3horticulturebgmjdZz3 Posts: 2
    Thank you all for you assistance with this I believe @InBloom & @nutcutlet are correct after doing a bit of research. Its a shame as it looks so cool with the red stems and white leaves. After a bit of digging it does connect onto the Pittosporum but I think we might leave it for now. We will also keep trying to see if we can get a cutting to root.
  • JAYJARDINJAYJARDIN North DevonPosts: 195
    How beautiful is that! I have a huge Pittosporum and I'm now wishing it had some offshoots like yours does.
Sign In or Register to comment.