Plumbago sort of pulls you in with it's tropical icy blue flowers that bloom almost all year, and if you forget to water it, it rewards you with more pretty flowers. When did plumbago become a noxious weed? About a year after we planted it on our slope. It's climbed over fences, completely grown over other large plants, and grown up and tangled itself through italian cypress trees more than 30 feet tall. It's popped up in neighbor's yards across the street and several houses away, just guessing by seeds, oh, those stinkin' little seeds!!! We've picked off millions of them from our skin, socks, clothes, cats, etc. If it hasn't reached your house yet, give it just a little more time. It's on it's way and will surely get there. Anyone want it for free? I'm in Walnut, near Pomona. Email me and you can come and take all you can fit in your car, and come back as often as you like, lol. Linda

Wow, thank you for all your suggestions. I'm thinking it must be a box or privet honeysuckle. My plan is to cut it down to about a foot (as someone indicated above). Over the years, as it grew, the owners just trimmed the side of the shrub so that it wouldn't block the path on the side of the house. So it just grew higher and higher and now has started leaning over the path. So now it's just an annoyance and gets beat up on by anyone walking down the path. Knowing what it is I can now get it healthy and healthy-looking again. Thank you again! Your efforts are much appreciated. flora uk: there are some red leaves on top that have fallen from a nearby japanese maple, but it's all just the honeysuckle in the photo.

Kristin, welcome to the forum. This is a GREAT place for a Florida gardener, whether just starting, or an old-timer with green thumbs, hands and shoulders. You will love it here. I started here over ten years ago and have learned just about everything I know from these forums. I had a variegated pittosporum and it grew like a monster. They have very few problems and are generally very healthy. I eventually pulled it out to plant some tropicals in its spot but if you just want a big ol' healthy plant, pittosporum will fill the bill. Carol

Very difficult to id with only a few photos. Could be Golden Showers, but seems to have too many petals and be a bit too bright yellow in my own experience. Golden Showers also shatters very quickly, a day or two in my experience, so if the blooms last longer, then perhaps you can rule GS out. But then we will all be just guessing and roses vary depending on climate, location, and many other things. My personal first impression is that it resembles 'Lichtkönigin Lucia' a wonderful Kordes rose from the mid 60's that was widely grown. But there are many other possibilities. Trying to identify a mystery rose is not an exact, or simple process. Good luck, but an exact ID is unlikely. Cheers, Rick