The MGS Forum
Plant identification => Plant identification => Topic started by: pamela on July 27, 2011, 01:41:04 PM
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I found this lovely climber today (late July) growing over a Pistacia lentiscus. It has small white bluebell shaped flowers and thick wavy leaves ( some of the leaves are bigger than the others.) I hope someone will identify it....it's nice to get a surprise in the garden.
pamela
ps this is the third time I have posted this as my photo was too big. I am sorry if you receive it three times.
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Hello Pamela
Without seeing the leaves as they are almost invisible in the photo, it looks like Araujia sericifera, a climber from South America that has naturalised in few localeties, mainly along the Med. coast.
It has white or pinkish flowers to follow by big, particular fruits.
A closer photo of the leaves will give a final ID.
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Thanks Oron ..yes, it is that indeed. The leaves look somewhat like Stephanotis and I see its called 'Poor Man's Stephanotis. As well the 'Cruel Plant' because moths and bees get trapped. Now, I am not sure what should do about it.
It strangles shrubs and other plants....but it looks so lovely.
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This plant is on the EPPO "Alert" list for Invasive species.
It is quite a spectacular plant with heavily scented flowers and large pear shaped fruits however it does attract heavy infestations of an orange aphid and has a nasty white milky sap. The many seeds are airborne and I found seedlings across my garden. David
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I grow this plant Pamela and love it because it has a long period of interest. The amazingly big seed pods hang on right through the winter and well into spring with me so if you want to prevent lots of seedlings you can afford to leave them to give interest during the duller months. The first year it flowered and produced seed pods for me I cut a lot of them to have in a bowl in the house. One morning I came downstairs to disaster, several had burst open during the night and distributed their seed everywhere. Now I leave them on the plant until early spring! :)