Wildflowers: what is this interesting shrub?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Cherish, Sep 13, 2008.

  1. Cherish

    Cherish Member

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    I saw this along the treeline at a meadow's edge and the curious coloration and the seed clusters amongst all of the other plain green shrubs definitely grabbed my attention. Any ideas what it is?
     

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  2. Weekend Gardener

    Weekend Gardener Active Member 10 Years

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    Looks like whatever the plant is has a bad case of powdery mildew.
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Looks like a Ptelea.
     
  4. tipularia

    tipularia Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    ...and it looks like a hop tree (wafer ash) to me also.
     
  5. Cherish

    Cherish Member

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    Thanks. It does look like a hop tree from the pictures I've found, except for the coloring of course. Perhaps it does have something but I don't think it's mildew.
     
  6. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Maybe a virus disease? Agree it doesn't look like mildew.
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Could be bugs such as leafhoppers or mites. Look on the leaf undersides.
     
  8. Cherish

    Cherish Member

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    A bug can make the leaves lose some of their green in such a splotchy fashion? Well, this photo is from a month ago or so and when I returned a few days ago the shrub (and others not adjacent but in the vicinity) were still oddly colored (though some of the shrubs less so than others), but I didn't observe any pests, though perhaps the damage was done earlier in the summer and the now there is nothing to see but the results.
     
  9. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Wondering if the spotty discolorization could be the result of contact with some sort of chemical spray. Cherish says that the plant is at a meadow's edge: could be that it received an inadvertent dose of insecticide, fertilizer, or the like...Maybe a substance that caused a light sensitivity or chlorosis.
     
  10. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Yes, it can, when there is an infestation of numerous small sap-sucking insects.
     
  11. Cherish

    Cherish Member

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    Well, it'll be interesting to see how it looks next spring.
     

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