What this volunteer shrub?

[charlievictorbravo]

A shrub has appeared from beneath a large Elaeagnus bush. It is flowering and the bees seem to like it. Any idea what it is?

The Elaeagnus was heavily pruned last year, which may have encouraged this volunteer to flourish.

Help appreciated

CVB

 

[Suzi Q]

Could be eleagnus umbellata.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Could be eleagnus umbellata.

Well done, I think you've got it identified. There's an enlargement of the underside of the leaf on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_umbellata) and the leaf from the shrub has identical silvery scales.

If the identification is correct, I have a problem - whether the let the Elaeagnus Pungens Maculata get crowded out by the Elaeagnus Umbellata or try to move the volunteer.

Thanks for your help Suzi

CVB

 

[Suzi Q]

Might be reversion, it's common with varigated shrubs.

 

[Blacky50]

Presumably your E pungens maculata is the gold variegated variety. If so I have found that it often sprouts non variagated shoots ie just plain green leaves. It's the same plant and the plain shoots can appear anywhere on existing stems.

I suspect that's what you have here rather than a different species. The plain shoots flower whereas the variagated ones tend not to. I actually prefer the plain variety because of it's flowers.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Might be reversion, it's common with varigated shrubs.

I haven't had a good look under the foliage , at ground level. Does reversion mean that the Elaeagnus Umbellata is now PART of the Elaeagnus Pungens Maculata or are they separate shrubs, somehow.

The reason EPM had a heavy pruning last year was that it was becoming less and less variegated and I was hoping to remove as much of the plain green foliage as possible to reduce the competition for the variegated part. Has this pruning contributed to the reversion?

CVB

 

[Suzi Q]

Apparently most varigated shrubs are unstable and may revert back to the plants orginal parentage, which most likely is Eleagnus umbellata, so not really separate shrubs. Sounds like you have a losing battle now, the green form of Eleagnus will always grow faster!

 

[charlievictorbravo]

When it stopped raining today, I had a good look under the the EPM shrub and found that the E Umbellata was growing out of the trunk of the EPM, below where a large branch had been removed, just above ground level.

It certainly looks like the Elaeagnus Pungens Maculata has a strong link with E Umbellata, which is likely to be the direct parent of my EPM. You live and learn.

CVB