Name That Plant!California Gardening Orchid

volunteer from bottom of cym pot

last month

hi!!

So, this was growing out of the bottom drain hole of my cymbidium, which I bought about 3 years ago.

What is it most likely to be? I image searched but found nothing conclusive. To me it looks sort of gardenia or camellia-like, and also somewhat avocado-like (though there was no nut when I transplanted it). It doesn't seem to be like anything else here.

Thanks in advance!! It's kind of fun to have this mystery.

Featured Answer

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

last month

Pittosporum leaves usually aren't sharply pointed. You might consider dogbane. Hard to tell from your photos but dogbane usually has a reddish stem and opposite leaves. The seeds are windblown, so they travel a long way.

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Comments (8)

shaxhome (Frog Rock, Australia 9b)
last month
Have a look at the various Pittosporum species...
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked shaxhome (Frog Rock, Australia 9b)
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
Original Author
last month
Great suggestion!! As it happens, we have a giant Pittosporum undulatum in front - which tripled in size years ago, when I tried to prune it back - I gave up, lacking the right kind of choppers - however its leaves are smaller and thicker and have curvy edges.

I'll have to see if it could be some other Pittosporum though - I'm sure there are many kinds.

It would have to be a rare one since this doesn't look like the regular kinds we have around here. (Unless it is one of those cases where the young leaves are different from the mature ones,. But this volunteer is already a good 8 to 10" tall, so I would have thought it would have mature leaves by now.)

I'll just try to keep this baby alive until it blooms - that is often when someone figures out the answer.
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Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
Original Author
last month
Interesting daninthedirt!!

I don't remember it having reddish stems but I'll look again next time.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last month
I think I'm seeing alternate leaves. Can you show us a side view?
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
rosco_pc
last month
Could this possibly be a gardenia?
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked rosco_pc
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
Original Author
7 days ago
I'm sorry about the delay - here are some more pics.

And, is that tiny thing a bud??!! Maybe we will get an answer soon. Exciting!!
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
Original Author
7 days ago
One more just in case: