Can anyone identify these three plants please

**Arron** · 23rd March 2018, 09:12 PM

Can anyone identify these plants. All growing in what was a much-loved garden about 20 years ago but since totally neglected.

This is on the Central Coast, NSW.

The first one is a small tree. Rather pretty. I cant tell if it was planted or is self sown, native or exotic. The newly emerging leaves are rather distinctive - tightly wrapped like an elongated flower bud.

DSC_3680.JPG DSC_3685.JPG

The second one is this large shrub. I think it was planted many years ago as an ornamental, though it doesn't seem to have any redeeming features. From a distance it looks like a large azalea or abelia, but up close you see it is not. White flowers but rather sparse.

DSC_3687.JPG DSC_3678.JPG

And the third one is these two slender trees (growing above the Brunsfelia). I think I often see them growing as hedges - where people need a quick hedge or screening solution. There was a small white flower a few days ago but didn't get a photo of it.

DSC_3691.JPG DSC_3692.JPG DSC_3693.JPG

Cheers and thanks
Arron

**Arron** · 23rd March 2018, 09:52 PM

Figured number three is probably orange jessamine or Murraya paniculata.

1 and 2 still a mystery.

**FenceFurniture** · 23rd March 2018, 10:51 PM

I think 1 might be a Rhododendron. 2 looks like a Wax Flower - possible native (yeah, I know, Common names are useless), but maybe a bit more detail of the flower would help (i.e. much closer in)

**dubrosa22** · 23rd March 2018, 11:35 PM

Yes, number 1 looks like a Rhodo.
Not sure about number 2.
Number 3 is a popular hedging plant with white flowers. The name escapes me at the moment, sorry
{edit} My wife says 'Murraya paniculata' and Google agrees - as the OP guessed

**Arron** · 24th March 2018, 12:04 AM

Yes, no 1 could be a rhododendron. That would be a good result. I can’t find any photos of rhodos with that characteristic whorl of new leaves, but with over 1200 species and such diversity of form it’s possible some are like that.

No 2, by waxflower do you mean an eriostemon ?

Thanks
Arron

**Arron** · 24th March 2018, 12:19 AM

Or maybe No 1 is a magnolia. I’ve been trying to think of where I’ve seen that characteristic new leaf whorl and remembered magnolias - like in this photo
C46698BC-5980-45FD-A44E-78218E383EBD.jpeg

**truckjohn** · 24th March 2018, 12:29 AM

#1 is a Magnolia. Looks like a "Cucumber magnolia" - they generally have big huge leaves and huge white flowers somewhere in size between a saucer and a dinner plate. They become a large tree the size of an Oak...

#2 looks like an Azalea. Common bushy shade growing greenery/shrubbery. They put on a show of pink/purple flowers in the spring. It is in the Rhododendron family.

Both of these are USA natives that somehow ended up Down Under...

The 3rd looks very familiar to me as another common greenery seen in the USA but I can't put my finger on it... Almost like some flavor or Hawthorn..

**Toymaker Len** · 24th March 2018, 10:32 PM

3 might be a murraya - common hedge, white flower with a strong sweet scent.

**Arron** · 19th May 2018, 12:06 PM

We had a botanist come around and I asked him to identify some of our mystery plants, including the ones in the post above.

The first one is a Moreton Bay fig, Ficus macrophylla. I had already found that out because it turned out that they are growing in large numbers in the forest behind our block.

The second one is some type of Hawthorne, but unfortunately I didn’t write it down so lost the exact name.

And the third one I think we all knew, Murray’s.

Cheers
Arron

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