How to Identify Walter

I often get the opportunity to identify strange plants that appear in Georgia landscapes.

My friend Theresa Schrum snapped a picture of a particular item she needed to identify, so she sent it to our mutual friends Shannon Pable and Bruce Holliday.

Here are their responses:

Shannon: I have successfully keyed it out: Walterus reevii ‘Prostrata’. It’s definitely a candidate for Highway Horticulture since it’s a seasonal observation. I do believe it’s a native species. I remember this variety has pink blooms in the spring, around Flower Show time.

Bruce: Actually, I think the variety is more Erectus or Columnaris due to it’s normally upright structure and branching. The Prostrata variety seen here is more a seasonal sport of the original species. It is also known for it’s open-branched roots, sometimes seen with leathery, strap-like appendages. There is a Nana variety commonly called ‘Greyii’.

Blooms

Walterus reevii ‘Greyii’