Calling All Green Thumbs! Help Needed!

[BigguyZ]

OK, I'm working on doing some cleanup of my landscaping at my house. I've already cut down a bush that was pretty much garbage, and I plan on replaceing it with fabric, mulch, and a large pot with flowers.

I have a corner lot, and on the corner I have a large bush. I have no idea what kind of bush it is, and I'm curious to find out. It grows quickly, and can reach a height of 20 ft+ if I don't trim it. Also, the base seems to be expanding, as smaller branches are popping out around the main part of the bush.

In addition, the bush seems to not be fairing well. I don't know if it's lack of water, but I've tried watering it and it hasn't gotten better. I'm wondering if it's diseased or something. Here's a few pictures of the leaves up close.

So, what I'm wondering is if this is a bush worth keeping in general, and if it's a decent plant, can I get it healthy again? Or, would I be better off cutting it down and replacing it? What would you reccomend? I want something green, and easy to maintain (or something that doesn't need to be maintained).




Thanks!
Travis

[crokett]

Sorry to say, cut it down. At our old house we had several bushes out front. 3 got infected with what appears to be the same thing that on your bush. I talked to my local ag agent and brought him a leaf sample. I don't recall what the disease was (this was 7 years ago) but it was not curable. He said depending on how bad it was I could cut them all the way back, let them grow and they might be disease free. I opted just to take them out.

[billwmeyer]

It appears to be a fungal infection. You might try a fungicide. You can also do what Crockett did and take a few leaves to an ag agent or somewhere with someone with knowledge. They could also tell you what it is. It is hard for me to tell from the picture. From a distance it looks like a lilac bush, but the close up looks a little different. Does it flower?

If you don't care about the bush, take it out.

[BigguyZ]

What's an AG agent?

I can't remember it flowering much, if at all....

I'd hate to remove a decent plant- just seems wasteful. But I also hate upkeep on yardwork. I mean- if I install a toilet, I'm done. But the lawn- it's never done....

[jking]

"Ag agent" refers to an agent from the state agriculture department. In your case, start with the University of Minnesota Extension office. http://www.extension.umn.edu/ They should have an office you could take leaf samples to. You could also try taking a leaf sample to a local nursery or garden center.

Personally, I would probably go ahead & tear out the bush.

[Uncle Cracker]

Rip it out. The damage has been done. You will never get the foliage looking right again, unless it drops its leaves in the winter and grows new in the spring. If you are going to plant something else, you should go ahead and have the ag extension people tell you what it is (looks like fungus) so you can keep it from infecting the new plant or spreading to others in your yard.

[tommyt654]

Looks like Powdery Mildew to me. A fungicide should help but you will have to make repeated sprayings a few weeks apart. As far as the plant does the new growth have reddish tips?

[BigguyZ]

OK, either way, it sounds like it'd be a lot of work to keep this thing (what is it, BTW? I have no clue), and I don't even like it that much.

I wouldn't mind replacing it. Does anyone have any reccomendations for someone who prefers making dead plant into something else, rather than keeping living plants alive?

[conwaygolfer]

Shrub

The easiest thing for you to do would be take a few samples to a local nursery or arborist. Ask them what it is and what their opinion of its worth / value is for a lawn plant. Looks like a fungal disease on the leaves. You notice the leaves on the ground around it? The rest will continue to fall off and be replaced by new leaves. These will of course have to be sprayed with a fungicide in order to control the problem.
I personally think it is a good looking shrub for the lawn. I would do what I could to maintain it for the future. Just my opinion.

Conwaygolfer

[drillman88]

It looks like a red tip or a close relative. I had several of these and end up removing them due to fungus. You will be fighting a lost cause trying to keep it.

http://msucares.com/lawn/garden/msga...04/040405.html

[cabinetman]

From your pictures it looks like you have two types of leaves. The larger ones look like a type of philodendron. That's a wild grower and very difficult to contain, and will grow into and up other shrubbery.

If you get with a nursery in your area, they will tell you what's going on and if it's worth saving. I've had to do that. My area is like living in the Congo. They can also advise what will grow well in your location.
.

[tjr]

The big picture and description (part about shoots from the base in particular) look a bit like purple leaf sand cherry, a very common Minnesota shrub. Could be very wrong there, tho, because they don't seem to get powdery mildew quite that bad.

I'd probably dig it out and replace. There's lots of great shrubs that will thrive in Minnesota. Some I enjoyed when I lived in Minneapolis: Old-fashioned lilac, bridal wreath, rugosa roses, and possibly my favorite, Nanking cherry, which looks nice, is tough, and will produce tasty pie cherries if you can chase away the birds fast enough.

If you don't mind driving over to St. Paul, I always had great luck at Linder's greenhouse on Larpenteur near Como Park. You might take them a branch and ask what you've got and what's wrong with it. Or just ask them what you could replace it with.

[BigguyZ]

OK, here's a picture of when it was healthy... I kinda like where the plant is, and the coverage it provides. I just don't like how quickly it grows.