Hi there
I wonder if anyone can help solve a mystery.
Last year I replaced one of my 2 blueberries because it looked very sick. Then a couple of months ago the other blueberry bush produced some flowers that I had never seen before. They looked like small catkins. They have now all gone but I haven't had any of the usual white flowers and there is no fruit setting.
In other years I have had a small crop of blueberries from this plant (following the normal white flowers). The other plant (the one put in last year) has produced a small number of the usual white flowers, but again has set no fruit.
The larger plant (which has been three years) is about 4' tall. The other one is about 10".
Weird!! OH asked whether I was sure it was a blueberry as he googled it and couldn't find anything about catkin type flowers. Daft question because I have had blueberries from it in other years.
sounds like it might not be a blueberry (is it mulberries have that a catkin type flower) or it could be a really odd gall (they can look like anythign in my experience) .... or something else.....
chrisc
Weird I know, but I am fairly sure it is a blueberry. It has produced what I would swear were blueberries in the past and came from a good source (The Dorset Blueberry Company).
Another strange thing is that it has now got some hard red lumps on its leaves.
Should I dig it up and start again?
I'd email the Dorset Blueberry Company.
Post some pictures here too, I know the catkins have gone but you might sill get an ID.
Sorry to drag back an old thread!
But this does seem to be a thing that happens ... my blueberry bushes are about 5 years old and have all made normal blueberry bell-like white flowers that turn in to bona-fide blueberries every year.
This year two different varieties have sent up stronger than usual shoots that have produced a completely different fuzzy catkin-like thing that I'm pretty sure will not make blueberries! It's freaked me out - I can find nothing except a few threads on forums where the only advice is that it is not a blueberry plant ... but I know that these are!
I'll try and post a picture tomorrow - the only thing I can think is that the plants are grafted and this is coming from the root-stock - but I can see no signs of a graft anywhere.
Blueberries don't produce catkins..but...in past I've had tree seeds settle amongst my shrubs and those were very blueberry like when they started to grow. I suspect it is some type of willow as I've seen the seeds 'fly' in big clouds in wind during spring. Only way for them to stop their 'fly' is to get court in undergrowth.. usually in the base of shrubs. The new growth from these seed look very much like new growth on blueberries...straight whippy growt...and the leaves are not that different neither, maybe just slightly bigger. It is very easy to miss them and knowing how fast willow grow..two year old 'seedling' start to be almost same size with the blueberry bush.
Really irritating thing is...they are bugger to get rid of :BangHead: You know if you have willow growing amongt your bush by cutting the odd one down and if it soon sprout with good amount new growth..that it! Blueberries are much slower to produce new growth.
Well - it's a bizarre coincidence that 2 bushes had the same problem .... but you were right. After being sure that the 2 things were coming from the same plant - I had a rootle around to loosen the soil and gave a pull on the rogue element. It had a separate root system so was obviously a different plant.
How bizarre for 2 of the 3 bushes have that happen in one year! And by a plant that has such similar stems & leaves.
Thanks for the advice