[arugula]

Could anyone identify this plant please?



It was growing in a woodland situation and the particular clump I photographed here was about 2 metres high and spreading about 4 x 6 metres back and across. It appeared to be suffocating the rhododendron plants in the vicinity.

[sunshineband]

Reminds me of Eleagnus.

Did the leaves have a slightly silvery sheen or is this due to the light in the photo?

Eleagnus leaves are a bit silvery

[arugula]

No, the silvery aspect will be from sunlight, sunny. The leaves were a medium to dark green colour and reminded me of beech although it obviously wouldn't be green at this time of year.

[Kleftiwallah]

ANYTHING that can outgrow rhodedendrons cannot be bad!

Cheers,   Tony.

[sunshineband]

Likely to be a viburnum then I think...

V. tinus perhaps

[arugula]

Likely to be a viburnum then I think...

V. tinus perhaps

Interesting sunny... I'll have a read.

ANYTHING that can outgrow rhodedendrons cannot be bad!

A good point that we considered Tony!

[saskatoon]

Looks very like a Gaultheria Shallon, which is often used as a woodland fringe plant, a landscape plant around shopping precincts and used in edible landscapes as it has edible berries.

[arugula]

Thanks for that. Another one to look up.

[8doubles]

ANYTHING that can outgrow rhodedendrons cannot be bad!

Cheers,   Tony.

Knotweed could be very bad !

[Sue33]

could it be laurel ?

[sunshineband]

Looks very like a Gaultheria Shallon, which is often used as a woodland fringe plant, a landscape plant around shopping precincts and used in edible landscapes as it has edible berries.

Sounds like this could be the one!!

[arugula]

It does doesn't it sunny. I'm not familiar with it even though I am not unfamiliar with woodland. I am, however, very unfamiliar with shopping precincts! 

[SkyeEnt]

In my 'garden plants for scotland' book they describe G. shallon as 'a vigorous thug which is out of control in wetter parts of western scotland and should not be planted there'.  Apparently they are thinking of banning it because its so invasive here (although does apparently have delicious fruits).  You may want to consider trying to get rid of it (responsibly) before it takes over completely.    I was thinking of getting one before I read about how bad it was - no one wants to be responsible for introducing an exotic pest however useful or beautiful.

[arugula]

Thanks for that info. SkyeEnt.

You may want to consider trying to get rid of it (responsibly) before it takes over completely.   

Its OK, we came across this lot whilst on a forest walk quite a bit further up the west coast than we are. We did wonder when it seemed to be smothering the rhododendron! I guess this particular patch is the Forestry Commission's problem.