Is This A Lilac??? (Added New Pics!)

[Laurajean]

Okay, I took some more pics. After further inspection, I guess I can agree after all that it could be a vine. It looked more like a bush to me, but it does have long branches, so it could be a vine. By the way, it's almost perfectly centered in the corner of the garden bed, another reason why I think it's something deliberately planted as opposed to a wild weed. On the other hand, it would be an odd place to plant a vine, as there is nothing around it for it to climb on. Okay, here's some pics with captions:

I went over and grabbed a couple of leaves from my neighbors lilac bushes. He obviously has two types, so the leaves vary. My leaf is on the far right, and his two lilac leaves are center and left.

Here's an overall shot of its size. It blends in a bit with the other plants, but you can hopefully make it out. It's pretty much to the left of the trash can and reaching to the right of it as well.

Here's a closeup of a branch.

Here's the branches near the base, showing the new green stems, and the color difference with an older stem section.

Here's a leaf from it in my hand for size reference.



I'm determined to figure out what the heck this is!!!!

 

[Farmerboy16]

People plant dogwood bushes in their landscape, they look nice, and are considered as ornamental bushes.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
Hope you can get a couple of pics, I'd like to compare!

 

[woodmort]

We also have wild dogwood types here none have that kind of green new growth plus you would have notice red foliage last fall had it been a dogwood. I still think it is a vine of some kind--

 

[3goodeggs]

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/1373/

These are the vines.
You can rule out a lot of different plants by noticing if the leaves come off opposite each other on the stem, or alternately. They also do not change the degree, so they do not whorl.
That will help. also those little bumps on the stem are called lenticels, and it is also an identifying trait.
A flower would let me ID the family, but now it is just a matter of 'what it looks closest too?'

When you crunch up the leaf, does it have a smell? is it slimy or sappy? what kind of sap does it have? a white latex or clear?

I will think on it.
but right now my son is keeping a Star Trek program on pause for me, he'll turn inside out if I don't get back, but I will leaf through some books while I am watching planets explode.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
I don't think my plant looks like that vine at all. The leaves aren't shiny or large like that, or with those deep lines. My leaves aren't shiny at all. My vine doesn't have any of those little curly grabbers either. So far there's no flowers, berries or any sign of anything like that. Also, the leaves in that pic look pretty hearty, mine are delicate and very thin. No, the leaf doesn't smell when I crunch it, and there is no sap, sliminess or anything that comes from it. It's just a very thin, very silky dry leaf, and crunching it doesn't bring out anything. Think of a lilac leaf. It feels and acts very similar, no sliminess or residue. If anything it might be thinner in thickness than a lilac leaf but otherwise very similar in nature and feel. It's dark out now, but just looking at my pics above, it looks like the leaves are opposite each other on the stem, not alternating.

I think it's funny that you said you'll "LEAF" through some books while watching TV, yuck yuck!

 

[woodmort]

Ok here are some other things to consider:

This is a red-stem dogwood--definitely not what you have.

Here is a bittersweet--these are vines but will also grow as a bush until they can grow out enough to climb onto something.

Finally this is a kiwi--also a vine that can act as a bush. It it is it will bloom but not produce since they are single sexed and you need a pair.

The thing is I'm assuming, given where it is planted, that it is some sort of ornamental and, from your photos, it looks familiar. There is another possibility that I can't find because I dug them out long ago and that is a forsythia. Some of them do take a while to mature enough to bloom.

 

[maple]

Hey woodmort...is it the wild dogwoods that turn red-foilage in the fall? I have 4 different dogwood bushes that don't turn red in the fall but I do have a burning bush that most definately turns red in the fall.


Laurajean...I just moved so I forget what is staring me in the face as we speak is a hedgerow of lilacs. I'm looking at new growth below and it is similar to yours as how it grows on the stem...it's just the leaves seem more rounded and fat.


I was thinking...whatever it is you have there....whomever had the property before may have wacked down the speciman if it was huge and obstructing views and infringing upon the deck.... And whatever it is...if you didn't notice it last year and this year it's already as tall as your garbage can...than you've got a fast grower of some type there.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Yes and the branches show red in the winter. They are wild around here--I have to keep grubbing them out of flower beds. The produce white berries that the birds love so spread the seeds all over. They prefer moist areas and once established spread to form thickets by tipping in and underground roots--PIA when they get in where you don't want them.

 

[SourRoses]

Quote:
X 2! Especially about it being wacked down, even most of it dug up, and they missed a peice?


We have an enormous Bleeding heart here we only planted last year... it was smaller than one part of your possibly-lilacs bush/vine.. and now it reaches the roof (we have it growing against the house). Your leaf does remind me of it.. and the way its so not-bushy at the moment. I think though, it might be something else.

Whatever it is... you should know as the seasons change