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fivemurfs

spirea question

fivemurfs
10 years ago

I bought 'gold mound' spirea from two different nurseries. One gets it's leaves very early and they are bright yellow and very striking in the early spring when the other is dormant. It's leaves are more orange in color and are not at all spectacular. When they are completely leafed out both look the same. Could one of them have been mislabeled or are variations common within a variety? If these are two different varieties does anyone know what the correct names are.
Thanks for you help

Comments (7)

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    Are the shrubs newly planted or have you had them planted for at least a few months? Are their locations very similar (sun exposure, wind exposure, soil moisture, soil type, etc) or different? What I'm getting at with both of these questions is whether the shrubs have experienced similar environments in the last few months.

    It's very very common for cultivars to get mislabeled in the nursery industry. If the shrubs have experienced the same stuff over the past few months and are still significantly different, my first guess would be that, at some point, at least one of them was misidentified. There are other explanations, but that's probably the most likely.

    And, BTW, we know what you mean, but technically you are talking about a cultivar rather than a variety. The term variety is often reserved, in botanical discussion, for something a little different. Some variations would indeed be expected within a variety, but are usually not present withing a cultivar. Cultivars are supposed to be "uniform and stable" with regards to their selected characteristics (which in the case of this spirea would include the characteristics you mentioned - leaf color, etc).

  • fivemurfs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Brandon, these shrubs are flanking a sidewalk and growing conditions are identical. They were planted about four years ago, so are well established. From what you've told me they were most likely mislabeled. Thanks for the explaining the difference between variety and cultivar. I just wish I knew which cultivar was which!

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    a picture of leaf and flower.. either here or the name that plant forum.. will probably get you an ID ...

    dig out the miscreant ... presuming its in the middle... take a duplicate from the end .. stick it in the middle ... decide what to do with the oddball ...

    after bloom.. now.. fall ... just move one ... forget about having 5 in a row ... whats wrong with 4???

    i wouldnt be surprised.. if you didnt google PROPAGATION OF SPIREA .... that you might not come up with a billion hits on how EASY it is ... in fact.. bend down a branch.. put a brick over it so it stays in contact with the soil.. and odds are.. it will root by fall.. and you will have your 5th plant ... it will catch up ...

    who cares what its name is.. other than for the curiosity .... this isnt some exotic that cant be rooted..

    now hop to it.. lol

    good luck

    ken

  • fivemurfs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the propagating tip. Sounds as easy as rooting hydrangeas, which I can handle. They're mature shrubs so I'll probably leave the 'ugly sisters' where they are because once they leaf out all the sisters look the same. You're right. What's in a name? I'm going to weigh down some branches on the good looking ones today! I can always use more.

    Transplanting? If I go that route will they have much chance of recovering from the move? They are four or five years old.

  • Sara Malone Zone 9b
    10 years ago

    Sounds like you might have a 'Goldflame' and a 'Goldmound' (or maybe a 'Limemound'). Ken is right about how easy they are to propagate. You can move them with impunity - as long as you do it when they are dormant (no leaves).

    My issue with both of these is that I hate the flower color so I find myself pinching out all of the buds. That was easy when they were small but now I am trying to just live through flowering! There is a lovely chartreuse foliaged number called 'White Gold' that has white flowers, but it lacks the apricot-taffy new foliage on the others. It's always something...

    Sara

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    Transplanting? If I go that route will they have much chance of recovering from the move? They are four or five years old.

    ==>> what part of running them over with the truck.. are you not getting.. ?????

    these shrubs.. you could wrap a chain around the trunk.. attach the chain TO THE TRUCK.. rip them out.. drag them to the beer store.. to buy a 6 pack .. drag them back.. give the 6 pack to the neighbor to dig you a new hole.. and back over it.. dragging it into the hole.. and cover it with soil ....

    and i will give it a 90% chance of survival.. dormant or not.. if you just water it properly ...

    but if you are so inclined.. lol.. root a few first.. just in case i am wrong.. lol ...

    i had an 8 foot tall.. by 8 foot wide plant.. that i cut to 4 inches in august ... finding about 20 rootlings in a circle 6 feet out from the original ....

    by late fall it was back at 3 feet.. and by the next summer.. back to 5 feet.. you cant kill them if you want ... well you can.. but it will be with malice and aforethought.. which is a fancy way of saying you will have to murder them ....

    and this goes for ALL spirea ... not just yours ....

    ken

  • eahamel
    10 years ago

    Ken is right, about propagating at least! Spirea is very easy. I have one that I rooted in a pot of dirt from a piece that I broke off a large shrub.