What’s this and what will it do?

EmmaM

I’ve had this in the garden for a couple of years but have no idea what it is. It has quite nice leaves but it’s just sort of spindly and falling over. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be growing upwards and I should support it or if it’s spreading outwards... any ideas?

Yviestevie

Think it might be an escallonia not sure what variety though.

AnniD

I was thinking some kind of cotoneaster ?

LG_

Looks like a cotoneaster to me too. But there are loads of different ones!

Paul B3

Probably wrong here , but could be Cotoneaster franchetii or something similar .

Dovefromabove

I think cotoneaster too, but not sure which ... https://www.hortweek.com/cotoneaster/landscape/article/1449684

B3

It looks like cotoneaster to me too. If it is, you can grow it flat  against a wall if you wish - just trim off the sticky-out bits.

Wayside

What will it do?  It will berry.

EmmaM

I have a feeling it may have slightly ‘berried’ before, it’s just a bit of a nothing! Can I make it into a ‘something’?

Lizzie27

You could train it against the fence and the birds like the berries, but they seed everywhere and the plant is a bit boring. I would chuck it and plant something more interesting.

Paul B3

Probably arrived originally by courtesy of a blackbird .
As B3 says , maybe train against the fence using small staples ; lose the spreading foreground branches . Cotoneasters are valuable to insects and birds , the nectar-rich flowers and(later on) the berries, are irrestistable to most species .