I think this might be a very common shrub that everyone but me can recognize even with no flowers or fruits. Instead of guessing some wrong things, though, I'll just ask for the ID. Thanks. The red stems are very attractive - I hope they stay that way all winter (hah, and I hope I see it again, but I saw it a few times before photographing it, now have forgotten where exactly it was, but I know what plant it's near by the photo time).
Thanks, Ron. That's pretty convincing. The bottom left area of my third photo above shows some stem detail that I see in several photos online. Wikipedia Tasmannia lanceolata - Wikipedia gives common names Tasmanian pepperberry, mountain pepper (Aus), or Cornish pepper leaf (UK), says it grows in cool temperate rain forests (seems perfect for here). I have added photos, one of which shows what might demonstrate the "distinctly pale undersurface" of the leaves. A passerby stopped to chat, was interested in fragrant plants. He noticed the aroma of the leaf I had in my hand, bit off a small bit and said it was very peppery and numbed his tongue. Honestly, I did not ask him nor encourage him to do that. I'm almost as excited to find that I was right about thinking I couldn't name it as I am to learn the name. I was also excited that I could find the plant again after converting the gps co-ordinates to what I could query on google maps. @Sulev, I agree that Kalmia looked like a good candidate, particularly in a photo like this one: www.namethatplant.net/picpage.shtml?path=/Images/ImagesFire/jkm03/jkm0311f_12.jpg&plant=781&photo=1454. Even though I can identify that when it has flowers, it's never on my mind otherwise and doesn't seem to be planted much in my neighbourhood, else I might have decided this shrub was Kalmia and never posted it.
This plant was recently being sold in the Shop in the Garden under the synonym Drimys lanceolata. I was tempted by the red stems, but did not buy one. They are all sold now.
I agree, it's Tasmannia lanceolata. My suggestions are based on my experiences only. I have never seen any Tasmannia plants here near to 60N latitude.
I have moved all the GPS-related postings to a new thread: Geotagging: GPS co-ordinate formats and conversion I put it under Science and Cultivation - not sure if there is a better place?
I bought one labelled Drimys lanceolata ('a Dan Hinkley introduction') a few years ago. It's in a sheltered location, and I protected it with a cage and cover through a long cold spell this last winter. I forgot to remove the cover for at least a month - it emerged looking wonderful, with only a few leaves and shoot tips frost damaged. I'm not sure if mine is a male or female plant, (haven't noticed apparently fragrant blooms yet) but the fruits can be used as a peppery spice. The plant seems slow growing. I moved it to a position with more light, though still partial shade, and it's put on more growth this year, but still less than 2'. It is a gorgeous plant! I'm thrilled every time I notice it. Very happy I bought it, despite initial concerns about hardiness.
We could just believe your opinion of yours, or you can post some photos here to convince us. :) Attach photos and files We can wait until you get flowers, and fruits - I hope you'll remember us then. Oh, and welcome!
It grows up in Scotland. We used to grow it in our Welsh garden. A well behaved evergreen. Male and female on different plants...needs 2 to tango to get the berries. Blinking name changes. Ended up with 2 plants by accident under the different names. Pic 2 female. Pic 3 male.
Oh golly, this isn't the best time of year to show off today's photo. My dearth of seasonal photos proves I've over-planted. Drimys is just visible behind other plantings - I originally situated it for anticipated size, but it was so slow I couldn't bear the bareness! Planting around it has left it now 'sheltered' by peonies, giant phlox (wow! higher than expected) and common lupine (a surprisingly valuable addition to the border this year.) Sigh. . . I seem to dig everything up for relocation every other year or so. And still finding wonderful new nurseries to fill in any spaces probably best left vacant. (Just discovered Free Spirit Nurseries this fall. See their plant list online. Home) Wendy, please indulge yourself. I bumped into it a few times this year , maybe Mandeville or Cedar Rim. I almost swoon every time I see the red stems. The glossiness and greenness of the leaves are striking every viewing. And yes - the colours are stable year round.
It's a female Tasmannia lanceolata that I have posted, thanks for those photos @Silver surfer. I keep taking photos of the flowers and then forgetting to post them, so here are buds from the beginning of March, and flowers from today, though they have been open for at least two weeks. I don't know of another one in the neighbourhood. Not that it would have helped with fruiting, but I passed by last fall when the caretaker was pruning it, but my seven cuttings all died. One didn't look totally dead until the last freeze. This one wasn't given any extra protection during the winter.
Another example of wikipedia accumulating worthless and misleading junk - that "cornish pepper leaf" needs deleting.
My Dan Hinkley Drimys has the red stems on both new and old growth. It has flowers right now, quite inconspicuous.
"Mine", just down the block, looks the same as yours, it seems to me. The white flowers are much later than late winter, and to call them a "fantastic show" is quite an exaggeration. I don't think these are the Pewter Pillar®. Those leaves seem a lot larger too.
I bought one labelled Drimys lanceolata ('a Dan Hinkley introduction') a few years ago I misread the lanceolata part of this statement previously. In large part because the winteri cultivar he gave to Monrovia is the only one that came to mind as being something within this subject area another party would be dubbing "a Dan Hinkley introduction". He is offering a lanceolata through his Windcliff Plants operation but that produces variegated leaves. Windcliff Plants – Daniel J. Hinkley
