Friday, November 03, 2006

Another cop out

Since I'm still in a horticultural sort of mood and still somewhat addled and incapable of a thoughtful post (let's blame it on the Clomid again, shall we?), why don't we all have a look at what happened to my Silver Leaf Dogwood shrub this fall.

I bought it in the spring - on my birthday, to be exact - and planted it a few days later. It grew and thrived, probably doubling in size, even though it was planted (somewhat stupidly) in a bit of a ditch that collects an alarming amount of rain water.

Sometime in August it started to turn a little pink. Then it turned really pink. By the time the leaves dropped it was virtually completely fuschia. Bright, bright, bright fuschia.

Surely that's not right, is it?

My Mom and Dad had a big old dogwood bush when I was a kid and it always stayed that delicate ivory and celery green all spring, summer and fall. I'm sure it did. Surely I'd remember a bright pink bush in the backyard, wouldn't I?

I've seen a number of dogwoods during my walks around the neighbourhood, and none of them went pink so it can't be something environmentally specific to this area (like red clay, as I first suspected).

So what's the deal? Anyone? Anyone?

3 comments:

delphi said...

My dogwood leaves go a little pink in the fall... Just a little though... So??????

kate said...

I have seen that too...though i don't know what it is. I don't have one... maybe you should ask at a nursery? It looks very pretty though!

Denise said...

I can't remember all the specifics but it has to do with the pigment anthocyanin. Your soil pH and temp. play a part in the chemical reaction of it breaking down. I think if your dogwood had more shade you wouldn't see as much red. That is what I have noticed from the dogwoods around here.