What is this bush?

April 12, 2020 9:12 PM

Can you tell what this bush is? Sorry, this is my best picture.

We’re in northwest Washington, for reference.

posted by ancient star to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Forsythia
posted by humboldt32 at 9:35 PM on April 12, 2020

Looks like a burning bush I used to have. Do some of the branches have fin like structures running the length? Did it have red berries through the winter?
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:40 PM on April 12, 2020

The stems look a bit like those of a mock orange to me.
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 3:30 AM on April 13, 2020

Yeh, I would also vote for forsythia, if it turns a searing yellow shortly you'll know for sure!
posted by jeremias at 4:47 AM on April 13, 2020

Mock orange doesn't bloom until May-ish so if it blooms white, it's probably mock orange. It's getting to be more popular since it's considered a native plant or if your house pre-dates the 1950s it was a popular landscape plant (as well as flowering quince).
posted by fiercekitten at 7:32 AM on April 13, 2020

That doesn't look like forsythia to me, because the bark of forsythis is generally smoother with spots. Also, forsythia would have bloomed by now in Western Washington. Mock orange is more likely, though it's really hard to tell in this picture if the leaves are three-lobed or clusters of three. If you get buds that bloom white in late May and early June, then yes, it's a mock orange.

Bark is much too rough for it, but the leaves almost look like a snowball bush. But I really doubt it could be--still, if you see small green round clusters of flowers forming soon, that's what it is. they bloom in May here.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 2:45 PM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

There's an app called Picture This that IDs based on leaves. It's not free but allows 3 free photos for trial. Dunno if it's in the App Store but here it is on Google Play.
posted by dobbs at 5:32 PM on April 13, 2020