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What shrubs are these and how do I care for them?

6 years ago

We moved into our house in February in the Houston area, and I am very new to lawn/garden care. No one lived here for over 6 months, and even when they did live here, they neglected most of the plants and trees on the property. There are shrubs around the house and in a garden bed area, but they are kind of sad looking. I don't know what they are and I don't know how to care for them or if they need to be pulled out and start over.

The green shrubs have soft leaves and occasionally have a few purple flowers that fall off quickly. The yellow-green shrub in the bottom pic does not have any flowers and is very bare-branched. I know it is difficult to tell in the picture. I appreciate any advice!

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Comments (5)

Sammy
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I'm guessing the first two pics show Texas Sage, and third might be an azalea, but I could be totally wrong. ;)
Embothrium
6 years ago
Last is Pittosporum tobira.
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Ken, you really need to lose the "it doesn't matter what it is; who cares at this time of year" chatter. It is such bad advice in almost every instance, deciduous or not. dasch, I would like to see pictures, too, but I would suspect that your Ligustrum has the very common Cercospora leaf spot fungus, a real problem with evergreen Ligustrum in the south. It causes severe spotting, leaf fall, and even death of shrubs if left untreated. But it can be treated and plants can recover. First and foremost, a thorough clearing of all fallen leaves and mulch from around the plants is essential. Replace the mulch in the spring. If you have an irrigation system, adjust the timing so that it comes on in the pre-dawn hours and for heaven's sake cut it way back or even off for the winter. In the late winter/early spring, your shrubs should be cut back severely, even to the ground. As new growth occurs, a fungicidal program should commence. Timely applications of appropriate fungicides can keep your shrubs symptom free. Is your landscaper reasonably knowledgeable? There are many fungicidal treatments available to treat Cercospora, as seen HERE in the fact sheet from Clemson. Ligustrum can be completely disease free in the first place. It needs to be grown in a sunny location, pruned carefully upon occasion to allow for optimum air circulation, and overhead irrigation timed to avoid wet foliage all night long. I suspect that your landscaper hedges these shrubs to keep them to a decent size. A plant that is quite capable of reaching 15-20 feet tall doesn't take happily to shearing over a long period of time. Regarding the powdery mildew on the stems of your plant....I will have to see pictures to believe it. My wager is that it is a type of lichen, which starts out as white splotches in the bark. Lichen is an almost certain occurance on Ligustrum that have started to defoliate due to Cercosporum disease. Pictures, pictures please!
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
we need some closer pix or the leaves .. with a scale.. and how they are attached to the branches .. to avoid guessing ...

welcome to the forums.. congrats on the new house ...

you say your a newb ... a couple of random thoughts ... they will never be hungry ... they need to care in that regard.. they are not children ...

they look very healthy .. if they need much of anything.. the question would be.. can i beat them back with a shovel .. lol .. and tame them a bit ... or RENOVATE them ...

when you are provided a latin name ... take it to google images.. and compare .. confirm IDs ... and look at the various forms in those pix .. if they show them 10 feet tall .. and 3 feet tall .. as an e.g. .. then it will give you a clue as to how to keep them in check ... or that they can be kept in check somehow ...

and the best advice i can offer is to never become attached to the prior owners mistakes ... never hesitate to get rid of stuff that is a problem ... sometimes its just easier to start over and make your own mistakes.. rather than trying to deal with someone elses nightmare ...

see if you can add your location to your name on your member's page ... if you plan on visiting often ....

good luck

ken
Logan L Johnson
6 years ago
I honestly wouldn't even bother with saving these.... I would just dig them out and replace them with different shrubs.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
6 years ago
Hi Dawn....I hope that you do visit often but be forewarned that Logan has no knowledge of plants and their culture and enjoys giving incorrect or harmful answers to those needing help. Just ignore him.

Your first plant is Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) as suggested by Sammy. Luckily for you, it responds very well to very heavy pruning clear to the ground after which it will grow back very full and shrubby. This procedure is one was to completely rejuvenate a shrub.

Pittosporum tobira is another plant that can be pruned completely to the ground and will respond with three or so feet of compact growth that very first spring.

Shrub rejuvenation should be done only in late winter, just before new growth starts.

Here's the catch: without seeing these plants in person, it is impossible to say whether they are in good shape or not, other than being unpruned. I don't think that the Pittosporum looks in good color, but have no idea why. They are prone to attack by scale insects and root rot, and DO need occasional fertilization if they don't get any.

Neither of these plants will do well in damp soils and would be happiest if never under an irrigation system.

If these were my plants, I'd not hesitate in chopping them close to the ground in the late winter and watching them regrow in the spring. Inspect the Pitt for cottony cushion or wax scale.

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