Now that it's peeking out, I know this is Pigeon Berry...right?



Well, I mistakenly thought this shrub was PB, and I let it run rampant in a big perennial bed our front. Can anyone ID it? It grows low to the ground and suckers everywhere. I turned one of the branches over to show back of leaves. I'd like to tear it out, but without knowing what it is, I'm hesitant.

Looks like Pigeonberry to me! On the other one, any flowers or berries?

No, and until the Pigeonberry poked its head out, I thought the other bed was PB. Now I have an unknown, very aggressive shrub taking over until the oak. No berries or flowers...

Just wanted to poke in here and remind ya'll that we have a Plant ID forum, too! http://garden.org/forums/view/...

Really looks like a privet... yes the first one is the "real" pigeon berry. Josephine would be the best one around here to let you know a for sure on the other one if it is native at all she will know.

I think I'll just dig it out in the morning...I don't think it's something I want, as it's taking over a large bed. The leafcutter bees are enjoying it tho.

I hear you there - just make sure you get each and every root!

The second one looks like Coral berry - a nice little native.
http://www.wildflower.org/gall...

That was my first thought too Staci, but when I saw the underside of the leaves that is different.

I know it looks familiar and I have seen it before, but maybe it's something else I have seen. The only coral berry I have is in a chigger infested, overgrown area, or I would go look at it to refresh my memory.

It's funny, even the leaf cutter bee damage seems to fit with the picture stored in my brain, like it's a common occurrence in this plant!

Staci I think you nailed it! After looking at the photos on the attachment you sent, I was sure it couldn't be coral berry because there were no blooms or buds on it. (It is right by a Beautyberry that is covered in buds. I went back out front and broke a few branches off to show the size and that there was no sign of berries. And...there they were!!!
I'm still not going to let it take over my front bed, but maybe it can have a very small spot!
Thanks so much for the ID!!!

And Dave, you were right too...it is a type of honeysuckle.... going over to Plant ID too

Well, it looks like I concentrated on the wrong part of the plant, sorry.

I took the first photos above two days ago and I didn't see any buds....but when I scrolled up and looked at the photo showing the back of the leaves, there's a tiny bud way up at the top of the stem just starting to peek out. I've tried not to water that bed very much because we're trying to adhere to our voluntary restrictions. I hand watered very early yesterday morning, but not too much. I can't believe they would pop out in two days? They must have been there just waiting for a drink, and were too tiny for me to see. I just went back outside...and they are covered in teeny buds. I didn't plant this...I'm blaming the birds.

Coralberry did cross my mind on that one, but without having bloomed or made berries, hard to know. It CAN be invasive, too.

I think invasive would be an understatement. It just popped up in the fall of last year. It really took over. I let it go because I thought it was Pigeonberry...and that would have been fine. The native photos look kind of cool. I do plan to leave it until it blooms. 'But then it has to leave....and take all those berries with it!

It really is a pretty little bush if irrigated. I have it in a few spots back in the native wild area behind our fence (still part of our lot but beyond the drainage easement) and it gets no extra water. It barely limps along back there but I love to see it's little berries.

I'm going to leave pat of it until after it has berries. We have four water features in our small lot, but I took the bird feeder down because rats were coming up from the greenbelt at night, followed by rat snakes. Our neighbors have a deluxe feeder, but no water. It's been working out fine. The birds eat, then have a drink and a bath here. My neighbor just walked over to say she saw a huge rat during the day and they're re-thinking leaving the feeder up. I have some berry bushes that are blooming already, and I hope the rats don't like 'em! I guess the birds will have to eat berries or fly north...

Those Berries are about the same color of the Beautyberry, if I remember correctly. I know where a patch of it grows wild....roughing it to put it mildly......hope it's still there.

Sandi - maybe a hawk or two would be next.....behind the arrival of the rats!

Unfortunately,....the abundant guests of birds coming & going here.......has attracted some feral cats......so now faced with a dilemma of sorts

Yes, it seems that there is always something.

Lee....don't your dogs keep away the cats? Or are they beeg cats?
And as for the berries....after seeing the photos Staci sent, I thought maybe the Beautyberry had possibly seeded that area. That's when I noticed the teeny buds on the back of every stem of the Coral berry. BTW, I have a Erythrina bidwillii on the other side of the house that's also called....Coral berry.
Don't wish a hawk on us. Our neighbors have little wee-wee dogs that would be carried away! We just got rid of the Grackles....(that UT got rid of a few yrs ago and found us). They moved out here to make messes, but the drought must have taken its toll. I noticed when our fountain pump went out, and we didn't replace it for a couple of weeks, the Grackles took off. I placed a stick sideways in the pond so the little birds could hop down it for a drink. Haven't seen a frog since March...