Plant ID please (this isn't a Perovskia is it?)

[slidingdrawers]

Morning

I ordered a Perovskia Blue Spire via a nursery on EBay as one of mine has failed.

This arrived. This isn't a Pervoskia is it?

Anyone have any clue what they've sent me instead? I have contacted the seller.

Label isn't clear but says Perovskia Blue Spire.

No it's not a blue spire, nothing like it. Is it a rather sickly spindly rhododendron in the wrong pot.

Could it be Caryopteris ? (Sometimes known as blue spiraea)

Definitely not Perovskia, or Caryopteris, it does have the look of a Rhododendron (and not a good one, at that).

Definitely looks more shrub like to me. I'll be interested to hear back from them.

Whatever it is, it looks like someone has just shoved a broken branch with dying leaves into a pot. Was it expensive.

No, not expensive. Just under £4 plus p&p.

Has a look of an olive to me.

Definitely not a perovskia, it does look a bit like a weedy rhodedendron. Does it actually have a root system, that droopy top section looks worrying?

@NanTheWiser

Definitely not Perovskia, or Caryopteris, it does have the look of a Rhododendron (and not a good one, at that).

But is that a fruit fallen from it on the ground, bottom left? That would rule out rhododendron.

Do tell us which nursery, so we can avoid. That's shocking quality control of what's being sent out.

That fruit is still saying "Olive" to me.

The dropped fruit is not associated with this plant, that'll be from my pear or cherry tree.

Seller has refunded and apologised for packing (?) error. I asked them what they think it is. Hopeful it is an olive.

Can I make a plea that people do not buy plants and seeds from ebay. There are so many small local plant nurseries owned and run by people who have trained as horticulturalists and REALLY know their stuff. In many cases they grow their stock from seed and/or their own cuttings material and can verify the origins. They have, in many cases, just about survived lockdown etc and really need your support or we will all land up buying the same tat from supermarkets.

I've struggled to buy perovskia this year, ended up ordering from Sarah Raven and that was on waitlist. It must be terribly popular. It's a lovely plant, to be fair.

I got perovskia from our local plants galore. They had loads and much cheaper than SR.

Ambo21 I ordinarily do and my fabulous local nursery sourced all my plants together in a bulk order for our newly landscaped garden. Their advice has been brilliant particularly as I am a complete novice. This was a quickie one off purchase as one of my plants had failed but I will definitely avoid eBay for plants from now on.

@Ambo21

Can I make a plea that people do not buy plants and seeds from ebay. There are so many small local plant nurseries owned and run by people who have trained as horticulturalists and REALLY know their stuff. In many cases they grow their stock from seed and/or their own cuttings material and can verify the origins. They have, in many cases, just about survived lockdown etc and really need your support or we will all land up buying the same tat from supermarkets.

Who do you think the sellers on eBay are? The ones I've bought from on eBay have been small nurseries doing exactly that.

Who do you think the sellers on eBay are? The ones I've bought from on eBay have been small nurseries doing exactly that.

I couldn't agree more! I've had such good quality plants from ebay (always UK sellers), particularly when compared to the rubbish from much bigger online suppliers.

that droopy top section looks worrying?
It looks like it's been grown against a wall or in a confined space and grown towards the light rather than droopy exactly.
Hopefully it will recover and turn out to be a nice surprise!