a tree with holly type leaves and tiny yellow flowers?

its got tiny holly type leaves and tiny yellow tulip/trumpet type flowers , a really knobbly windy trunk like ivy and stands about 10 feet tall.
any ideas? , i shall try and load up some pics.

 

Sounds as if it could be a Mahonia.

 

No i dont think so Peter , this is it on the right,



these are the little flowers and leaves.





some of the leaves are turning red.

 

Berberis? Wouldn't expect it to be flowering now though

 

I had thought Berberis darwinii, but as Kristen says its the wrong time for blooming in the UK and should have berries on it now. They make very nice tall trees.

 

The photo clearly shows that its not Mahonia.

I would agree with Kristen and Victoria - it looks like Berberis darwinii. I know it shouldn't be flowering now. But I was in the garden today and noticed that my Ceanothus had some flowers on. And that shouldn't be flowering now either. There is not a lot of flower on Robgil's plant, which makes me think that it is a bit of rogue flower rather than a main flowering.

Its surprising how often you get these rogue flowers. I have had Sidalcea flowers in February before now and, and currently my Lychnis coronaria has some flowers on it too.

 

thank you guys , so when is it supposed to flower?

 

In the spring - I can't remember exactly but I would say around March to April.

 

I have photos of my Berberis Orange King flowering 2nd week of March onwards, and Darwinii in full tilt in mid April. Darwinni still fit-to-bust in mid May.

I agree that day-length now is similar to Spring and that can cause some plants to things it is flowering time.

 

Definitely Berberis Darwinii.