Unknown shrub in back garden

Hello Everyone,

Can anyone help in identifying the name of this shrub from the attached photos please? We are looking to find out when it can be pruned lightly.

Matthew

 

Could it be a Sarcococca?

 

Really struggling with this one.
Nothing coming to mind.

Presume it is evergreen?
Matthew have you seen any flowers?
If so when?
2nd pic.....Shrub appears to have seed capsules which means it had flowers earlier in the year.
Leaves seem to be opposite...please can you confirm.

 

Not Sarcococca

 

Is it a type of Laurel?

 

Whatever it is, I'm sure a light prune would be OK. Make sure the ground is not too dry round the roots, so it has some water while recovering from the stress, and do it when it is not in direct sun if possible, or ideally on a cool, cloudy day.

 

Looks vaguely Skimmia like to me but leggy.

 

I would agree with Sarcocca.

 

Can you photograph the shrub's shape or give us a rough height and width? It looks evergreen but do confirm if you know. At the moment, it looks like Drimys lanceolata. Have a sniff of the leaves. If it's that shrub, there should be some kind of cinnamon scent. Where are you based as I remember you had another shrub that was quite rare.

 

I wondered about that.
Need to know arrangement of leaves..I thought they looked opposite in pics.
Skimmia is alternate.

Hence my request in post above.

"Leaves seem to be opposite...please can you confirm."

 

Not sure that matches.
Compare pic above with mine below.
Especially leaf shape and veins
Now called Tasmannia lanceolata syn Drimys lanceolata.

Pics below.

 

Yes it's evergreen, it doesn't shed it's leaves.
I haven't seen any flowers on this one if there are any during spring/summer.
The stem near those seeds are red on some of the branches I noticed.

The shrub is located just back from the front of a corner of the back garden so not that visible.

 

So far Skimmia seems best match.
Only red in your pic is the old flowering stalk.
I have trimmed your pic to show it more clearly.



This pic shows berries forming.

 

It's about 1.5m high and a 1m across.

Yes it's an evergreen, it doesn't lose it's leaves.

There is no discernable smell from the leaves.

We are based in mid Cornwall.

I have attached two more photos from different angles and in the shade this time. Hope this helps.

Also I have spotted a few red berries on it.

 

Hi,

I have spotted a few red berries on it.