Difficult to ID Small Plant growing in Pittsburgh zone 6

SimpleSue Pittsburgh, PA(Zone 6b) Oct 14, 2025

I'm having difficulty identifying this plant on my own via a friends plant ap on his phone, and via google image search.
My only clues are: a long time ago I ordered two small Sweetbox Fragrant Mountain plants and have a vague memory that they didn't look alike...might have been sent something else by mistake, one died and I lost track of the other one. Last year I came across a plant with couple leaves and let it grow and it turned into the plant in this photo. It might be evergreen. Currently it is about 6" x 6" in size.

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MaypopLaurel Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b) Oct 17, 2025

Looks like a Otto Lukyen Laurel.

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spoonlegs Cottage Grove, OR(Zone 8a) Oct 21, 2025

Has it flowered? Doesn't look like Otto Luyken laurel to me . . . . Looks a little like Manhattan Euonymus, or could be a different species of Sarcococca (Sweetbox), such as S. zeylanica or S. ruscifolia . . .

This message was edited Oct 21, 2025 10:29 AM

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SimpleSue Pittsburgh, PA(Zone 6b) Nov 08, 2025

Thanks for the input from both MaypopLaurel and Spoonlegs.
I'm certain it is not Otto Lukyen Laurel, I looked at many photos of it since you mentioned it.
I no longer think it's a variety of Sweet Box as none of the varieties I've since looked at online have the distinct arrangment of leaves shown in my photo of the side view of the stem- leaves have a whirled or at least semi-whirled arrangement.
Today I noticed the stems do have some darker reddish tone to them lower on the plant , it's stems do not hold it erect, it is sort of floppy- which may be more of a clue.

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SimpleSue Pittsburgh, PA(Zone 6b) Nov 11, 2025

Do any gardeners agree with me or are familiar with Gentiana ???

I think I identified my mystery plant as some kind of Gentiana maybe a Gentiana septemfida but maybe another type of Geniana as my leaves are slightly different.,

Photos and info on this link: http://www.robsplants.com/plants/gentisepte

I do recall ordering a Gentiana "Bottle Blue" years ago, maybe a seed came long in the pot from another type of Gentiana plant at the nursery. Seedling is my photo of when I first noticed it back in 2023 in my garden.

This message was edited Nov 11, 2025 10:55 AM

This message was edited Nov 11, 2025 10:56 AM