Vinca spp. (Periwinkle)

LOCATION: University of Manchester campus

Vinca is a herbaceous or a subshrub plant and is divided into Vinca major and Vinca minor which are both cultivated as an ornamental flowering evergreen. The flowers consist of five delicate purple-white petals with brighter colours in the center. The leaves are opposite and simple, quite broad and oval with a glossy green surface. 

The low growing shrub reaches from 0.10m - 0.50m and it lives in small clumps. The plant is native to Europe, southeast Asia and northwest Africa but it is also widely used in British gardens.

This specific plant was found on UoM campus in an early winter when it had few flowers left. It was growing in a bark mulch and was covered by dried leaves from the trees surrounding it. There was also quite a lot of litter tangled in the plant's stems which suggests that it has not been taken care of for a while.

Sedum 'Herbstfreude' (Stonecrop 'Herbstfreude')

LOCATION: Benzie Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Roof Garden

'Herbstfreude' is a herbaceous perennial growing in clumps up to 0.60m. It has a succulent stem and fleshy, oblong green leaves with widely spread teeth. The flowers are usually a large terminal flat clusters of star-shaped flowers. The flowers open with greenish-pink buds which then rapidly transform through pale pink to finally turn deep pink. In the autumn they become pink-brown.

I found this plant on the roof garden in the School of Art. Sedum have the ability to store water because of their leaves and are usually used as a roof plant. It was growing with few other plants in the planting bed and it was not very densely planted.

Euonymus fortunei (Spindle 'Emerald 'n' Gold')

I came across Euonymus fortunei near the Fletcher Moss Park, growing under one of the houses. Euonymus is one of the most versatile evergreen shrub. There are many varieties both green and with various patterns. 'Emerald 'n' Gold' is one of the most common forms with bright-golden, colourful leaves. What makes it an ideal ornamental plant for winter are the leaves that turn pinkish-red in cold weather. It can be grown as an informal hedge, climber on the walls or a shrub, however they tend to be highly invasive. It occasionally produces few small, inconspicuous greenish flowers.

The species has circular-oblong leaves with a fine teeth on the edges. Eunonymum fortunei is tolerant to sun and shade, and thrive in well-drained soils. It grows to 1m up and is able to spread to 1,5m wide.

 

Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese Spurge)

Japanese Spurge is a slow-growing shrubby, evergreen ground cover which grows 10-15cm high and spreads by rhizomes to create a heavy carpet of rich, dark green foliage. The plant has oval leaves and it consists of tiny white flowers 2.5-5cm long, terminal, as shown on the photo, spikes bloom in early spring. Flowers are not exceptionally showy, but on the closer look are quite attractive. Best grown in medium moisture, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade. Foliage tends to bleach when grown in too much sun. 

Pachysandra terminalis forms large colonies of roots underground and spreads very fast. Leaf blight is a potentially serious problem which can necessitate remedial fungicide applications.

 

Pyracantha coccinea (Firethorn)

LOCATION: Stockport

The characteristic feature of Firethorn are small, red berries and the fragrant white flowers produced in May and June. There are many different varieties which produce a wide palette of yellow, orange and red berries. Pyracanthas are easy to grow and require very little maintenance. They have small, gloss-green elliptical leaves and thorny twigs covered with short white hair.

The species was found growing on a car park in Stockport along the walls of one of the buildings. It was not in an excellent condition as the soil was quite dry and there was a lot of weeds growing all around it. The shrub had aso an unusual appearance as its dark green leaves mixed with the nearby growing yellow-green Euonymus fortunei. The shrub ad a very limited space to grow in and looks like it has been regularly pruned as it developed a dense mass of twigs.

Garrya elliptica (Silk Tassel Bush)

LOCATION: Fletcher Moss Park

I found this plant in Fletcher Moss Park where it was growing hidden under a wall in a residential garden which is perfect for that plant as it needs a sheltered site and the wall provides even additional shelter and warmth for the plant. The leaves are dark green, waxy and leathery with waved margins and are oval in shape. Garrya is an evergreen irregular shrub growing up to 3-4m, its fruits are the silvery-green pendent catkins appearing from winter to spring. The species is native to California and Oregon states in America. Often seen in the UK as an ornamental species. 

This species looked to be in a good health. There was an exceptional amount of silvery-green catkins hanging off the shrub considering how young the plant looks. The soil looked well drained due to a recent rainfall.

Hamamelis mollis (Witch Hazel)

LOCATION: Fletcher Moss Park, Manchester

Hamamelis mollis, commonly known as a witch hazel, is an upright medium to large, deciduous shrub which usually grows up to 4m. It has a rounded shape and it is native to forests and thickets in southeastern and southwestern China. This species produces the most fragrant flowers of all the witch hazels which appear in the winter time therefore this species was still before their bloom. The plant was originally introduced into cultivation in ngland in 1879 from seed collected in China by Charles Maries, British plant explorer. Each yellow flower has narrow, strap-shaped petals with red stamens at the base.

This species was found in Fletcher Moss in the residential garden. It was growing by itself in the middle of the lawn which gave it quite a large space to take over and it provided a lot of sun light which it needs. The plant did not have anymore leaves as the winter time was getting closer, however the flower buds were getting ready to bloom very soon with yellow ribbon-like fragnant flowers. The twigs were covered with small white hair whereas the larger branches had a dark grey colour.