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Please help identify mystery plant!

17 years ago

We have a mystery plant growing in our backyard. It's a shrub, probably a perennial, is about 5ft tall, and has huge, round, flat, white flowers. The flowers are about 7 inches in diameter and are the largest flowers I've ever seen. They have enormous white petals (four or five to a flower) and are completely white. The leaves are also large and dark green. The plant has ten or so blooming at once, but they don't last more than a day. There is not noticeable scent. The plant is in full afternoon sun location and is doing very well. We're in Massachusetts, so I think it's zone 3-4.

Any help would be much appreciated!

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Comments (10)

tiffy_z5_6_can
17 years ago
Sounds like a member of the Hibiscus family. Enjoy it! Beautiful plant!

Also, if in Massachussetts, you are more than likely a zone 6.
diggerdee zone 6 CT
17 years ago
I was thinking some kind of hibiscus also, although the leaves on mine are not dark green, but lighter. Its a rather tropical looking plant, and the first time I saw one I just had to have it!

:)
Dee
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Thanks for the replies everyone! >>the first almost looks like a crepe myrtle (is that flowers on the tips?) >>The first one does look like a Japanese Maple to me, although I wouldn't guess at the cultivar. Nope, no flowers. Here's a closeup of the leaves of the tree (best I can do at 11pm). I'm pretty confident it's a japanese maple, just not too sure on the exact variant. Five tipped, full green leaf, red seeds & brownish green branches. Leaves turn a crimson during Fall. >># 2 is burning bush-euonymus alatus >>All badly pruned! The bottom should be slightly larger than the top to allow sunlight to the bottom leaves, not like a vase. Wow. I just googled that name and was very surprised how red some of these get. Mine might change color in the fall, but not to that level of redness (I wish!). Good to know though. Is this what proper pruning looks like for these? More globe-ish? Thanks again. I'm just about to begin a re-do of the landscaping. Just purchased a nice Canadian Hemlock to anchor the far left side and Jean's Dilly Albert Spruce for the far right side by the front door step. Trying to decide if I should try pruning the overgrown yews back or replace... and whether to keep the #2 (burning bush-euonymus alatus). Problem is if I keep them, I need another to balance the area and I'm sure I'll never be able to buy that matches the existing two.
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i have tons of those they make yellow flowers in spring time after winter they come up every year after they've made the flower i cut um down they remind me of day-lilies.
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Cindra is correct, it is Dracunculus vulgaris. We have a couple specimens planted 70 feet from the house and therefore have never been bothered by the (alleged bad) smell. Mind you, there are many things which smell very good in the garden and that may disguise the odor. Worth having for the WOW factor. Cheers, MG Here is a link that might be useful: Our website
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Comments (11)
Thank you all for the help identifying this. I'm thinking I'm going to try to get rid of it - would garden experts agree that this is one I shouldn't feel bad about getting rid of? FataMorgana- when you said the early leaves don't always look like mature leaves.... Any chance that my giant collection of "little spreaders" that is popping up with on pairs of opposed leaves is just a pre-woody-vine version of this? Thank you all again for the help- one down five hundred to go! :-)
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deeje
17 years ago
I'll third the guess of hibiscus -- my Red Heart sounds very much like that (except for, well, the red heart).
ego45
17 years ago
Something like that, but pure white?
{{gwi:265798}}

Hibiscus moscheutos.
azrael
Original Author
17 years ago
Yes! Almost exactly that flower but completely white. Any ideas for the exact species? And isn't hibiscus native to much warmer climates? I mean, the thing is doing really well (although it may die in the fall).
jackied164 z6 MA
17 years ago
I have the pure white also and just love it. It is reliable (although late to actually start growing in the spring....my latest) and it blooms at exactly the time when many other perennials are kind of spent. Right now it is making me feel ok that my phlox David is done for the year. For me it was a great phlox David year.
deeje
17 years ago
Some hibiscus are amazingly hardy. My Red Heart is the very last thing to emerge in the spring, like sprouting at Memorial Day late, but it's blooming like crazy right now and is about 4.5' tall. It's wild to see something so tropical looking pop up so quickly out here on the tundra!
pitimpinai
17 years ago
Hibiscus moscheutos is a native plant and is distributed throughout the Eastern part of the US all the way down to the gulf coast according to the USDA website.They all are easily grown from seeds or cuttings and very long lived in the garden.

Ken, that Hibiscus is very pretty, but the tummy is prettier. :-)
I have one Hibiscus just like yours in the photo, but this one is slightly pinker.

{{gwi:265799}}
tracey_nj6
17 years ago
Completely white, including the throat - maybe Hibiscus moscheutos "Blue River II"? The blooms are said to be about 10".

Here is a link that might be useful: Hibiscus
bonnie_2006
17 years ago
dinner plate rose of sharon

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