Shrub with white flowers? What is it?

Discussion in 'Identification Area' started by macbone, Jun 16, 2011.

  1. macbone

    macbone Apprentice Gardener

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    I have a shrub in my garden. It's deciduous, about 10-11 feet tall, has a grey rough bark, beautiful 5-petalled white flowers. Almost looks like Dog Rose, but it definitely is not a rose. Can anyone identify it please? Picture attached.
     

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  2. Aesculus

    Aesculus Bureaucrat 34 (Admin)

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    It's a rose... I've no idea which species or cultivar but it's definitely a rose (this sounds familiar...)

    also

    [​IMG]
     
  3. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    macbone, why do you say it is definitely not a rose? :scratch:

    The flowers and leaves appear to be be roses. Is it because there are no thorns anywhere? There are numerous roses that are totally thornless.

    Does it smell like a rose?
     
  4. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    Thats a very nice Dog Rose Macbone, should get some nice hips from that in the autumn.

    I love rose hip syrup, on my last bottle from last year now, had some on my ice cream yesterday:thumbsup:
     
  5. macbone

    macbone Apprentice Gardener

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    Thanks to everyone who has responded, but this shrub has never, in 25 years had hips, there is no evidence of one single thorn, it has a thick heavily grooved, grey bark, it doesn't have ANY perfume. So, I'm still at a loss to know what it is.
     
  6. Madahhlia

    Madahhlia Total Gardener

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    The case against it certainly seems conclusive but it still looks like a rose! If it doesn't have hips, what does it have instead when the flowers die off?

    Well established roses do have very gnarled and furrowed trunks.
     
  7. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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    macbone, botanically the structure of the flower in your pic is that of a rose!
    The leaves, buds, calyx, petals and stamens all fit.
    Rosa. Common name Rose.
    I am not saying this is YOUR rose but it may be.
    Rosa virginiana alba. It is apparently thornless.

    There are literally 100's of different species and hybrids. Some have gone out of fashion and are no longer available to buy any longer, but may still be found in gardens.


    Google Image Result for http://www.rosesloubert.com/collection%20loubert/2002/rosa%20virginiana%20alba.jpg
     
  8. macbone

    macbone Apprentice Gardener

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    Further to my previous pics

    Thanks for your further help. I'm still having difficulty with this one.
    This is a close up pic of the leaf. As you may see, instead of 1 central vein from the base of the leaf, it has 3 main radial veins from the base which then have smaller veins emanating from them. Also, the texture of the leaf is MATT. Roses, in my experience have leaves with a single main vein from the base and are GLOSSY. In addition, most rose leaves I've seen are more uniformly serrated (almost like a saw blade) and tend to be more roundish than longish if you see what I mean, whereas this has more gentle, and on some leaves almost none existent serrations and is pointed rather than rounded at the tip.
    My missus thinks it's a sp. of Philadelphus, and indeed the triple vein thing looks kinda like Phil but the perfume is non-existent, and I thought all Phils supposedly are strongly perfumed, or am I wrong?
     

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  9. macbone

    macbone Apprentice Gardener

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    What a cock-up!

    I'm so sorry, I've had you on a wild goose chase. The pic I originally attached (I now realise) was a photo of an old dog-rose in my garden and the picture I should have sent, I am now attaching. You were all exactly on the money - it was dog-rose. If you can find the time to take a(nother) look and give me a view, I'd be grateful. As I said with the leaf pic, my Missus thinks it's a form of Philadelphus, but I don't know as it doesn't have any perfume.
     

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  10. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Now that looks like a philadelphus :thumbsup:
     
  11. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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  12. Madahhlia

    Madahhlia Total Gardener

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    Sadly, not all philadelphuses have scent, as I discovered after waiting years for one to flower.
     
  13. ARMANDII

    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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    Yup, looks like a mock orange to me, Mcbone.:D:thumbsup:
     
  14. miraflores

    miraflores Total Gardener

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    Oh well, I might as well post the picture of this other white flower...

    cistus aguilarii immaculatus [​IMG]
    pic source: compagniadelgiardinaggio.it
     
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