Strange shrub with no leaves or flowers - Ask Extension
Hi
I attach a photo or two of a self sown plant that appeared in some maidenhair fern. When it first grew it looked like young maidenhair with no lea...
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Strange shrub with no leaves or flowers #299799
Asked February 05, 2016, 8:15 PM EST
Hi
I attach a photo or two of a self sown plant that appeared in some maidenhair fern.
When it first grew it looked like young maidenhair with no leaves. However the stalks stay green unlike maidenhair.
Now the branches are thicker, still stay green, no leaves but this year small nodules are appearing on the new branches.
In the photos the dark green is old growth while the light green is quite recent.
We live in an area in Rose Bay which is in a valley and was probably a swamp or wetlands originally.
Please let me know what this is?
When it first grew it looked like young maidenhair with no leaves. However the stalks stay green unlike maidenhair.
Now the branches are thicker, still stay green, no leaves but this year small nodules are appearing on the new branches.
In the photos the dark green is old growth while the light green is quite recent.
We live in an area in Rose Bay which is in a valley and was probably a swamp or wetlands originally.
Please let me know what this is?
County Outside United States
Expert Response
Please let us know what country you're writing from. Our U.S. Cooperative Extension Service experts need more details to possibly answer. Also, it looks like this plant is in a pot. Is it native to your country? If it's grown outside, what's the climate like? Rainfall, sunshine, temperature, etc. Thank you!
I am in Sydney, Australia - Rose Bay is a suburb in the inner eastern suburbs.
Yes the plant is in a pot - it grew in some maidenhair and is self sown.
Unfortunately I do not know if it is a native or not - I have never seen a plant like it as it has no leaves.
The pot is outside but in semi shade.
The pot tends to be watered several times a week,
Outside mean temperature range is between 9.2 and 23.9 degrees Celsius according to the bureau of meteorology (http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068034.shtml)
Cheers
Casuarina glauca is likely the name of this plant. The prostrate form, Casuarina 'Cousin It' is available in the plant trade. Check out the page about it on "Growing Native Plants" from the Australian National Herbarium: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2005/casuarina-glauca.html
Take the plant to a local nursery to confirm the identification, as photos are not the best way to get the ID.
Take the plant to a local nursery to confirm the identification, as photos are not the best way to get the ID.
