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Can anyone identify this?

horticulturebgmjdZz3horticulturebgmjdZz3 Posts: 2
in Plants
Hello I work at a college in Suffolk and I have come across this plant. It has bright red stems and solid white leaves. I am not sure but it is possible that its a Pittosporum that has undergone some sort of change. It is planted next to a Pittosporum and has a rose growing through it. We have taken some cuttings of it as it seems to be really unusual and wondered if it had a name?



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Posts

  • InBloomInBloom Posts: 68
    A sport lacking chlorophyll off a branch? The cuttings won't take as they won't survive independently. Follow the branch back you should be able to find where it's attached to a normal plant with green leaves. 
    Often saw sports similar on Ceanothus, they just needed cutting out. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    That has a beauty of it's own I have never seen it occur on Pittsporum before. I do know there are fungi that do this and rely on other plants for nutrients.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    The only things I've seen produce branches with no green at all are euonymus (the variegated kinds). I imagine it could happen with other things.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I wonder if this may be of interest to the RHS?
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    They look so much like flowers that I was saying: that is never a pittosporum.

    I have a collection of variegated ivies thay often throw all white stems, but without the beauty of this plant.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Albino plants do exist such as Orchids they survive as they are parasitic. I think the same applies to fungi but I do feel a bit out of my depth with this. I would think that is rare?
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    A sport with no chance of life if separated from the main bush as @InBloom says. The genes for white are in the leaves and they're dominant in this branch. Chlorophyll needed to make it a viable cutting


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @nutcutlet That makes sense enjoy it's beauty.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • horticulturebgmjdZz3horticulturebgmjdZz3 Posts: 2
    Thank you all for you assistance with this I believe @InBloom & @nutcutlet are correct after doing a bit of research. Its a shame as it looks so cool with the red stems and white leaves. After a bit of digging it does connect onto the Pittosporum but I think we might leave it for now. We will also keep trying to see if we can get a cutting to root.
  • JAYJARDINJAYJARDIN Posts: 256
    How beautiful is that! I have a huge Pittosporum and I'm now wishing it had some offshoots like yours does.
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