plant ID help.

[rootofnewt]

I need to know what this plant is. It's a shrub, obviously, and the new growth at the very tip top is as tall as I am. The width of the shrub is approximately my armspan at the widest part.

the leaves are speckled.

the blurry purple things are purple bracts. they don't appear to actually have flowers inside them, though. quite odd.

i can't figure out what it is and i need to know because it's sick. large sections of branch in the middle are turning black/brown and dying. my landlord has no clue what this shrub is and keeps forgetting to call his brother-in-law gardener to ask.

and so hellsop doesn't complain, here's what i look like right now.

EDIT: might it be Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' aka Spotted Laurel aka Gold dust plant?

It never sets berries, but those tiny bract-like purple flowers could signify that the plant is female. Without a male nearby, it wouldn't set berries.

Comments

I am likely entirely wrong..

[firinel.livejournal.com]

the way the leaves grow, and their shape make it look very much like a sort of scheffelara(sp?), at least to me. I can't imagine a scheffelara would have lived outside in your zone long enough to get that large, though.

Re: I am likely entirely wrong..

[krasota.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine a Schefflera being winter-hardy in Zone 7. Sure, our summers are hot and humid, but it gets cold and icy here in the winter. It is reminiscent of a Schefflera, I just don't know of one which could thrive outside here.

i should've added--the leaves are leathery and don't drop in the winter.

thanks, though. :)

Re: I am likely entirely wrong..

[xiane.livejournal.com]

I actually remember think that it looked a lot like a schefflera when I first saw it, at your house. O_o

Re: I am likely entirely wrong..

[firinel.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I wasn't entirely off my rocker for having thought that, then XD

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Yay pretty!

I'm also thinking I've seen that planet ranging as far north as at least central Wisconsin, but don't know what it really is, even though it's referred to by people as "sumac".

[jaikob.livejournal.com]

I have a very similar plant in my yard. It looks just the same, except it's extremely old (and a few feet taller than me) and it has flowers that are a pale yellow.

[stmaybe.livejournal.com]

looks just like our gold dust plant. so that'd be my guess.