What is this Plant please & Diseased !

If you could get a closer shot of the folaige and the flower it would help with the id and the 'disease'.

Get a close-up, can't ID the shrub without it, I'm afraid.

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry I was going to do a close up first but thought you would want to see the whole plant, told you I didn't know anything ;-)

I have added 2 close up pictures. if you could kindly look at them.

Thanks again.
Andy

The shoots look fine - is it the inner part that's going black? Is it kind of sooty and is the black everywhere or just in some parts? I gather it's a conifer of some sort - do you know what type it is? Sorry for all the questions, the answers will help.

Not at all, I appreciate your effort.

The new growth always looks nice but it is growing Very slowly this year compared to normal.

Yes the inner part is going very black, mainly around where the sun didn't used to get because there was a small conifer in front, it started to go black though last year and this year it is really black. Saying this though most of the 'spikes' over the whole plant are starting to get a black colour/tint to them where over the last 10 years I have been here they have always been a very strong green. It's as if the 'black' is slowly spreading.

OOps sorry, it does look 'sooty' yes, as if it's been in a bush fire.

I really don't have a clue what type it is and my Mum who is an avid gardener like yourselves (I presume) also doesn't know, a mystery plant, is it worth anything on ebay if it's rare lol !! DEAD or alive ?

Regards
Andy

Given the way its growing Andy my guess would be Yew.The new growth is very pale and unlike Yew but if conifer and you not pruned hard -difficult to imagine any conifer keeping this shape.

Thanks for the reply.
I think you must be on the right 'lines' with yew as I just google 'imgaged' it and the pattern/shape of the 'leaves/spikes' is similar but the yew ones all look 'flat' where mine are Much more rounded. I have put a new 'super close up' (!) picture in my profile.

Re the 'Pruning' I hack it to bits every year as it grows like crazy (Used to !) and would take over my whole tiny garden. By the way it has a trunk the size of a tree if that helps !

Thanks
Andy

No, the close-up leaf patterns are not like those of a Yew, which are flat, not all the way round like yours. My book says that Yews are resistant to diseases, anyway. Hmmm. Have to do some more research.We need Bluespruce - he's the site expert on evergreens!

OK, that's what I thought, keep up the good work for me ;-)

Someone will have to go of and collect this 'Bluespruce' where ever he/she is in the world, and Fast !!

Andy

Type bluespruce into the 'search' box top left, click on 'member' and send him a private message. If he is still with us, which I hope he is, he will be able to help you. Have a look at his garden photos while you're on his page! You will go 'OOOH' and 'AAAH' at them.... :-)

Hi Spritzhenry

OK thanks for that , I will do as you say and I will 'report back' If I get any results !

If his photo's make you make sounds like that I'm a bit concerened as to what I may be letting myself in for ;-)

Thanks for everyones help :-)

Andy

Agree Spritz close up not like Yew but inner stems and leaf very similar.May I suggest 2 problems.
1- Wet rot.If on heavy impacted soil or in standing water even for just a few days Yew really dislike this.Their roots literally rot and a symptom can be oedema [ swelling ] to new growth. May explain leaf difference.If close to house downpipe run off common cause for standing in water.

2 - As you recently removed conifer in front of it think sap from this had been dripping on Yew causing sooty mould.Aphids attracted to sticky sap then leave honeydew behind that mould grows on.For this reason not planted under
tree canopy or next to conifers esp.larch which oozes sap.
Sorry if way out with this but puzzled and if this not Yew or a very close relative hate to think what Ive been trimming all these years! Best wishes to solving.

Andy, Bluespruce is a he ! :o).......... From your photo the conifer looks like Abies pinsapo (spanish fir), are the needles stiff and prickly ? if so then it is more than likely to be a spanish fir. Yours looks a bit off colour, this may be due to the aphid infestation as previously mentioned and you will realy need to clear this up asap. Abies pinsapo prefer a sunny open position on well drained soils.

Hi

Thanks Bonker (!) for the indepth reply and thankyou Bluespruce for getting back to me :-)

It's definately not on standing water and it has been in the same place since I have been here for 11 years, so probably 15 or so I should think.

It's 'funny' you both say Aphids as the bush next to it that has been really healthy and 'bushy' (!) started to look Very sad and dying last year and no better this, I looked it up on the Net and it said it was being killed by Aphids, on close studying of the leaves (all curled up) I saw that is was covered in them :-( I have now given it 2 treatments of Insectacide (!) and no Aphids seem to be about but alot of the new leaf growth still seems to be 'dying' and all curled up to me but it's not long since I treated it.

Saying that though the spikey bush shows no signs of aphids on it at all but should I spray it then anyway ?

I can't remember If I said this to you Brucespruce but I found that the 'black' comes off, I have now blasted it with the hose really close and it does look better for it, would it do this if it was aphids ?

Re the needles they are stiff but I wouldn't say to prickly really, certainly not like a 'spike' as in a thorn etc put they do have 'pointy' ends.

Sorry to go on, but I hope some of that may have been helpful !

Thanks
yet again

Cheers
Andy :-)

Yes - needles would be stiff not prickly. If the black sooty mould is not apparent on the fir, and you can see no signs of aphids, then no real need to spray unless you want to just as a precaution.

Ok Spanish Fir it is then :-)

I'll keep a close eye on the 'back' and look out for aphids.

Thankyou to everyone who took the time and trouble to reply it was greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
Andy