Identification: Shrub with small fuzzy brown fruits, prickly leaf edges

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by wcutler, Jul 19, 2019.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    This shrub is in a private garden in Victoria. Fruits look prickly but are fuzzy, maybe 1 cm in diameter. Alternate leaves with stiff, prickly edges.
    Small-brown-fuzzy-fruits_GovernmentToronto-Victoria_Cutler_20190718_104646.jpg Small-brown-fuzzy-fruits_GovernmentToronto-Victoria_Cutler_20190718_104717.jpg Small-brown-fuzzy-fruits_GovernmentToronto-Victoria_Cutler_20190718_132613.jpg Small-brown-fuzzy-fruits_GovernmentToronto-Victoria_Cutler_20190718_132628.jpg
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Olearia macrodonta
     
  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Great, thanks. Mountain holly or daisy bush, from New Zealand. Totally new to me, though Nadia did post Olearia haastii (Exotic and rare plants at UBCBG in July).
    UBCBG Garden Explorer has several photos of this one: Olearia × haastii - Haast daisy bush | UBC Botanical Garden.

    I have a photo of Olearia 'Waikariensis' at UBCBG (very different-looking).
    OleariaWaikariensis_UBCBG_Cutler_20130201_P1390615.JPG

    I also have these photos of some Olearia in Lismore Castle and Gardens in County Waterford, Ireland. The flowers look more similar to what I see for O. macrodonta, but the leaves are different.
    20130528_LismoreCastle_Olearia_Cutler_P1470643.JPG 20130528_LismoreCastle_Olearia_Cutler_P1470644.JPG

    Garden Explorer has several photos of Olearea phlogopappa, dusty daisy bush, from Australia and Tasmania: Olearia phlogopappa - dusty daisy bush | UBC Botanical Garden. Leaves are very different from any of the others.
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Keeping in mind there are ~180 species the last may be O. cheesemanii Cockayne & Allan (O. rani misapplied).
     
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  5. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    And there is so much variation - Wikipedia says "Olearia are small or large woody shrubs … The centre of the bi-sexual floret is disc shaped and may be white, yellowish or purplish, generally with 5 lobes. Flower heads may be single or clusters in leaf axils or at the apex of branchlets. Leaves may be smooth, glandular or with a sticky secretion. The leaves may grow opposite, alternate, arranged sparsely or clustered. Leaf margins either entire or lobed, with or without a stalk. The fruit are dry slightly compressed, one-seeded, narrow-elliptic or egg-shaped with longitudinal ridges and smooth or with sparse hairs." The only constant part of the description seems to be "characterised by a composite flower head arrangement with single-row ray florets enclosed by small overlapping bracts arranged in rows. The flower petals are more or less equal in length". Olearia - Wikipedia.

    Thanks for the name suggestion.
     

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