Thursday, March 22, 2012

Mystery Shrub

Click on image to enlarge. This woody plant
grew rapidly in a corner of my vegetable garden near the leeks. It looks a bit like a butterfly bush? Anyone know what it is? I've been searching Google without finding a match. We are in zone 7, bordering on zone 8 on the east coast. The soft non-glossy leaves look as if they are lanceolate with mild serration. They are growing out of clusters rather than randomly along the stem.

7 comments:

Debbie J said...

I can't tell from the picture, but I bet time will tell. Could be a "chinaberry tree" Old timers call it a chainey ball tree. If it is, you might not want it!

Search google images for chinaberry tree and see what you think.

Momma2MyGirls said...

It is hard to say for sure not knowing what growing zone you are...I have a few guesses, but they are both young natives to a zone 5.... my guess would be if you are in the midwest it is a grey dogwood or a young ash tree....neither is terribly beautiful but they grow fast.
those are my two cents, I could be totally wrong.

Alexandra said...

Thanks! I'll check these on Google. I guess the leaves are too green to be a butterfly bush. The butterfly bush has the gray green leaves. I think the leaf shape is wrong too.

Alexandra said...

Oh, and I added our zone to the post. :)

Momma2MyGirls said...

Okay, I admit, I know next to nothing about plants in a zone 7-8....so probably count my guess out. :-)

Alexandra said...

Thanks for your help! It got me closer to finding out what this is, and reminded me to put up more information, like the zone. :)

Myrnie said...

I'm the same zone as you, and "I've got nothin'" haha. Definitely not a butterfly bush, though! Wonder what it will turn out to be!