Forum home› Plants

What is this plant please?

telhavilandtelhaviland Posts: 6
in Plants
Hi there. This was here when we moved in a few years ago. I’ve pruned and shaped it, but still not keen. It has black coloured berries and sometimes scrappy looking white flowers  the twigs are red in the winter. Anyone know what it is? It’s about 5ft high now and I have shaped it like a tree but it is bush shaped if I don’t prune it. Thank you   
«1

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    I think it's a type of Lonicera (honeysuckle.)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • telhavilandtelhaviland Posts: 6
    edited March 2021
    Thank you for replying. I’ve googled that but the flowers don’t look the same. The closest pictures seem to be dogwood, but it’s confusing to a newbie as there seem to be millions of types of dogwoods. In the middle of the winter, the twigs are really red coloured. 
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    Do you have any photos of the flowers?  A description might help if not.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • telhavilandtelhaviland Posts: 6
    Hi - I haven’t got a pic of the flowers and there aren’t any at the moment. They’re small, white/off white. Several flowers cluster together. 
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,688
    Do the flowers appear around late spring to early summer time? I thought the same as BobTheGardener. The growth habit looks like a bush honeysuckle to me. Take a look at Honeyberry, Lonicera Caerulea. 

    It could also be a Dogwood. Hard to know until more leaves appear. Going with the dogwood route, take a look at Cornus Amomum, Silky Dogwood.
  • telhavilandtelhaviland Posts: 6
    edited March 2021
    Those cornus amomum flowers do look similar - as I remember. I can’t remember when the last flowers came. It’s in the way, to be honest, and I have to trim it a lot otherwise it goes mad. We only have a small garden and it’s not really earning the space. Looking at the silky dogwood pictures - I feel pretty sure it’s that one. It’s really nice of people to try and help identify it. Thank you :) 
  • Loraine3Loraine3 Posts: 558
    I would think it's Hypericum, the berries definitely look like it. If it is now is the time to cut to the ground and it will throw up shoots to flower in the summer.
  • B3B3 Posts: 24,463
    That's what I thought but the white flowers threw me. My growing out of patio slabs hypericum looks just like that but has red seed heads
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Loraine3Loraine3 Posts: 558
    Yes but the seeds go that manky black after red.
  • B3B3 Posts: 24,463
    I probably back it down before that happens😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
Sign In or Register to comment.