Plant ID

[Maggiethecat]

This has sprung up and am considering removing but want to check what it is first.

Thanks!

Looks like laurel.

Portuguese laurel or if you’re lucky possibly camelia

Does it feel slightly furry? If so then I think it is an eleagnus ebbingei.

Definitely not camelia, have one to compare with.

Not furry. The leaves have white spots.

Sorry @Maggiethecat I meant the stems, are they smooth or a bit hairy when you run your finger along them? I'm guessing the leaves aren't smooth either, but slightly rough.

Aah, smooth stems

could it be a bay tree?

I thought it looked like my bay too, Do the leaves smell?

Definitely not a bay.

PlantNet says elaeagnus submacphylla

Myplantapp also states it's elanagnus

I thought bay laurel
Plant app thinks thorny olive
Google thinks ebbing's silver berry

Sp whatever it is, this plant is a master of disguise.

Hello Maggiethecat,

Your plant is likely to be Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Happy gardening
TheSusyainableGardenet 👩‍🌾

I said that hours ago.

Camillia 100%

@goingtotown you don't know camelias well enough. They have glossy shiny leaves where as the leaves in the pic have texture to them. Also the new leaves on this plant are a sort of bronze colour and camellia leaves are a fresh green colour.

Looks like Bay tree to me.

Whatever it is, I'd keep it anyway.
It's not a common weed looking thing.

If you don't like where it is, dig it up carefully and stick it in a pot, let it grow for a bit then replant it.

It looks nice and obviously it wants to live with you.

I also think bay!

Are the leaves whitish underneath?
It's not bay, I agree with the above posters - Elaeagnus.

Thanks everyone- from all the pictures and descriptions I’ve seen it does seem to be elaeagnus.

@thesustainablegardener @Yamadori suggested that several posts ago, if you had read the thread, and in addition gave a few details to enable the OP to confirm or rule out. Apologies if you were writing in support of @Yamadori , but the fact you didn’t mention her name led me to think not.

Very well done 👍

You maybe interested in the first sentence of the third paragraph on botanical names.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/plant-finder/2013/011-015_plant_finder_2013.pdf

You're very rude, @thesustainablegardener. What's with all the posts signing your name, too?

(I clicked on it to say eleagnus, but obviously @yamadori was straight in there!)

Patronising, much?

I was referring to the name in layman's terms for the benefit of the OP. There's no point in being a smartarse with plant classification if the person you are giving the information to doesn't understand botanical Latin. It doesn't help them, and just makes you look like a dick.

Well, I’m glad to see that the post has inspired discourse on botanical nomenclature!

I love this board - thanks all 😊

Hello All,

Whether you’re a keen amateur or professional gardener, botanical names should not to be feared but should be embraced as they offer us such an insight into plants.

Botanical names can look off-putting, however they can be found to describe among other things shape and habit, flower or leaf colour, area or country of origin and fragrance to name but a few.

The following botanical terms can give us a clue into the plants we come across.

pendulus – weeping, repens - creeping, tricolor – three-coloured leaves or flowers, japonicas – from Japan, fragrans, or fragantissima – fragrant or very fragrant and officinalis – medicinal

In terms of botanical names you can find that the more you know or understand the more you want to know thereby helping us all to become better gardeners.

Happy gardening
TheSustainableGardener 👩‍🌾