[glamourpuss]

Can anyone help me to identify this large deciduous shrub/tree that grows in the non-vegetable part of my garden? It was well established when I moved in 18 months ago, and has been flourishing ever since.

The foliage is quite a bright acid green, the new growth has quite acer-like leaves, but the established growth is less divided. Large round buds appear around February, quickly developing little red feathery 'ears'. These become the flowers, which a friend described as 'upright bunches of grapes'   yellowish-green, with red stems. The old stems are quite woody, though new growth is sappy and has grown from the base of the plant.

Hopefully some photos will appear below!







I've had various gardening friends trying to suss this one out for a while now, and have been browsing garden centres and catalogues with no success . I am hopeful that someone can enlighten me!  :idea:  

[Aunt Sally]

Are you sure they are the same plant and not just planted in the same space  :?:

[glamourpuss]

Pretty sure they are the same plant, I did wonder though whether the plant might be grafted and the new growth coming from the rootstock below the graft? :?:

[glamourpuss]

Just braved the rain and gales to go outside and have another look. The 'frillier'-edged leaves appear on the new growth throughout the plant, not just that shooting from the base.

Apologies if the descriptions are a little vague - I'm only on module 2 of my Horticulture course and not quite up on all the technical terminology yet!  

[Aunt Sally]

:shock: You're studying horticulture  :!:

We should be asking you the questions  :roll:

[glamourpuss]

yep - 'studying' though, only just started really! Still much to learn.

It's only a distance learning course, nothing that impressive. And besides, the friend I asked to identify this mystery plant (with no success) has already passed the course! :roll:

The course may not be so good for plant identification then, but it's something to do when it's too dark/cold/wet to garden!

[crowndale]

The bottom picture looks like a completely different plant, the leaves are a completely different shape.  That said the top one looks a bit like a tree I had in my garden when I moved in, no idea what it is though!  Mine went really red in late season, very pretty, but it was also very destructive, throwing up new shoots all over the place including under the block brick driveway, raising the bricks, so I dug it out.

[Aunt Sally]

The 'frillier'-edged leaves appear on the new growth throughout the plant, not just that shooting from the base.

Sorry to seem so distrusting GP (especially with you a budding horticulturalist).  When the rain stops can you take a picture with both types of leaf on the same stem  :?:

I know eucalyptus and ivy have two types of leaf, so you could well be very right, still don't know what it is though  :roll:

[glamourpuss]

ok, have left the picture big so it is hopefully clear...



You can just make out the older, darker wood from which the less frilly leaves grow (and was the stem on which the flowers appeared) , sprouting from which at the top of the piccy is the new growth with the frilly leaves!

Thanks for the responses so far  

[Oliver]

The 'frillier'-edged leaves appear on the new growth throughout the plant, not just that shooting from the base.

Sorry to seem so distrusting GP (especially with you a budding horticulturalist).  When the rain stops can you take a picture with both types of leaf on the same stem  :?:

I know eucalyptus and ivy have two types of leaf, so you could well be very right, still don't know what it is though  :roll:

The angle of the bottom picture makes it dificult to see the formation of the leaves, could we also have a close up of the flower/fruiting bodies? Thanks.
Oliver with his thinking cap on

[Oliver]

ok, have left the picture big so it is hopefully clear...
Thanks for the responses so far  

This picure went up while I was thinking, thanks! but still need you to to post a picture of the flower part! Thanks
O

[Aunt Sally]

Well I'll be jiggered (whatever that is - no answers please)  Think I'm going to have to brows through my gardening books  :!:

[glamourpuss]

Hi Oliver, here is a pic of the remains of the flower part (obviously the flowers themselves are well over by now). When the flowers were out, they were bright acid yellow-green, clustered on the red stems shown as skeletons in the photo below.

 Hope it's not too blurred to help you, my digi camera is not the most advanced!



The neighbours must now think me even more insane, running out into the rain and snapping repeated shots of the same plant!!  

[Oliver]

Well, that leaves me none the wiser! The big set of leaves in the picture look like plum leaves, and the fruits look like our plum (greengage) tree, although your branchlets are red(!) but the feathery jobs leave me totally flummoxed. I will watch this space with interest but continue to think.
O

[Gwiz]

you can often get what is known as a "sport". this often occurs on, say, a varigated tree when one or branches reverty back to the original non varigated form. if the less frilly leaves are coming from within the same area as the other type, then i would think that is what has happened here, or, as you wrote, it has grown from the grafting area.