Can you identify? 18 April 2021 at 5:40PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 15 replies 631 views

mad_spaniel

I have a small tree growing in a large tub close to where I sit out in the sun. I have been known to eat the odd peach or plum and discard the stone into said tub. Now there is a small tree and I am struggling to identify it. I wondered if it could be a plum or peach with leaf curl ( see 2nd image) What are your thoughts? I don't want to encourage the 'wrong' sort of tree.












Thanks 

twopenny

Enlarging it the leaves look too long and thin, not the right colour for a peach but that could be the photo or it could be a foreign variety grown for climate/hot house cultivation.

Don't think it's a plum from the photos either. The leaves then tend to be mat and thicker but similar shape I grant you.

Has it had any blossom?

mad_spaniel

twopenny said:

Enlarging it the leaves look too long and thin, not the right colour for a peach but that could be the photo or it could be a foreign variety grown for climate/hot house cultivation.

Don't think it's a plum from the photos either. The leaves then tend to be mat and thicker but similar shape I grant you.

Has it had any blossom?

No. Unless anyone else has any guesses I think I'll get the secateurs out.....

RAS

The leaf problem appears to be blister mites, possibly with some frost damage. I'd wait until the leaves mature a bit and come back. As a seedling, it's probably only going to be good as hedgerow material but someone might take it.

twopenny

You aren't the only one Madspaniel, I'm growing what I think are weeds because last year they had a wonderful fragrance to the foliage. I need them to grow again so I can photograph and ask on here..........before I did them up

greenbee

@twopenny - it’s only a weed if you make the decision it is. If you like it, then it isn’t.

MalMonroe

twopenny said:

You aren't the only one Madspaniel, I'm growing what I think are weeds because last year they had a wonderful fragrance to the foliage. I need them to grow again so I can photograph and ask on here..........before I did them up

If your flowers (not weeds, surely?!) have a wonderful fragrance then why not just leave them? Do they attract bees? Bee populations are declining so it'd be great if you could help them by attracting them to your garden. Also butterflies.  They are definitely wild flowers, not 'weeds' (awful word!)

-taff

@twopenny the only one I can think of that has what I would call a nice smell is Herb Robert. It's kind of medicianl but also perfumy...

@mad_spaniel no idea sorry, but it might be some kind of prunush because of the colour of the bark/twigs.

twopenny

MadSpaniel I've just realised that that leaf looks very like the sprouting stems out of the roots of my Cherry tree. I have no idea of the root stock though as its not a Uk variety but one of the first plants on sale after the first lockdown lifted.

MalMonroe my garden is alive with bees of all types front and back and hover flies and it's only 2yrs old from grass. There's no shortage here, I'm also homing a big bumble bee in my compost heap and a frog in the main drain. A hedgehog visits most nights. This plant is small and doesn't attract much as it's a short flowering season but has large invasive roots and spread.

Greenbee I agree, but when they are invasive to the exclusion of many others or you can't get down the path for them it's time for some balance

Yes Taff, I have Herb Robert, it's rife round here but I know it's rare in some places.

This is small rossette leaves close to the ground and throws up a umbeliferi type tiny flower, when I went to take some up as it was beginning to crowd the space I was surprised by a delicate fragarance. Thought it might be something like Sweet Cicely which I've not come across, but the leaves are wrong.

Apodemus

twopenny said:

MadSpaniel I've just realised that that leaf looks very like the sprouting stems out of the roots of my Cherry tree.

Cherry was my immediate thought, too, but it seemed so obvious that I presumed there was a good reason why it was being ruled out!

twopenny said:

I have Herb Robert, it's rife round here but I know it's rare in some places.

Wow! I didn't realise Herb Robert was rare anywhere! Grows like...well... a weed, here!

theoretica

twopenny said:

This is small rossette leaves close to the ground and throws up a umbeliferi type tiny flower,

Thale cress?

Your sapling looks like a stone fruit of some sort - but, like apples, the chances of good fruit from a chance grown seed are slim.