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Gardening in Oz

Climber/shrub ID needed

20 years ago

I haven't seen the flower, but I'm told that the purple fig-like fruit is not edible. The plant is tough and never gets watered. Vigorous, too; it gets pruned heavily several times a year. The blue wrens nest in it, as it protects them from the magpies and other predators.

Any idea what it is?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2115578}}

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Comments (6)

cestrum
Original Author
20 years ago
Hmmm, the original link seems to throw up an error message. Try the one below; it might then let you click onto a larger image of the climber.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alternative link
User
20 years ago
I could see it fine on both links Cestrum.

My first instinct when I saw it was Ficus. If you cut a leaf off, is there milky sap?

There are something like a thousand different Ficus species. Bit hard to narrow down unless you happen to know it.

Cheers,
Dee.
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I agree that it looks like Hydrangea macrophylla. But have no idea why they selected that for a zone 5 garden!! Unless it has winter protection, it is never going to bloom. And considering the difficulty most have with getting the remontant or reblooming (new growth) types to actually produce flowers, even those are not very good choices for a colder zone without protection!! It also looks like it is in full sun. Does it have inground irrigation? ETA: macs can be cut back to the ground and they will regrow quite easily. You will just miss any flowers for a season, even if you were to provide winter protection.
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plantsplus
20 years ago
Looks like ficus pumila - also comes in a variegated version. Robyn
cestrum
Original Author
20 years ago
You're right: must be a ficus. (And there is a milky sap, but I think the fig-like fruits are the giveaway!)

Did some research and thought it might be F. pumila, plantsplus, but my research indicated that the fruits were green. These ones start green but ripen to purple.

Anyway, ficus it is.
TonyfromOz
20 years ago
It's F. pumila without doubt. Its fruits always ripen dull purple.
cestrum
Original Author
20 years ago
Ficus pumila it is then: mystery solved :-)

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