What is this please...

it was a full bush but have cut out the lower portion as dogs needed some shade, it appears to be keeping the whole of essex's bee population going so want to keep it but will it stay in the shape I have created or collapse?

 

Hi Clueless76. Not a clear picture but it appears to be Ceoanthus, the California Lilac. I had one for 15 years at least in Buckinghamshire and it was huge but I trimmed it annually. You can train them into small trees to sit under and enjoy the fragrance.

 

Thanks Victoria! Don't want to kill the poor thing off but it needs to do the job so win win for dogs and bees