Gardening Questions Unknown Shrub part 2

Right. Another bite of the cherry. I now think it's an Eleagnus, which is what I was thinking of before! (I had a eureka moment in the bath). I'm not completely sure, but the glossy evergreen leaves and the silvery reverse points to Eleagnus. My book mentions wavey leaf margins, but not toothed leaves. The mystery deepens.......

I haven't got a picture to compare it with yet- I shall google it - but I do think that's a possibility! E x ebbingei in my Hillier doesn't have the serrated edges to the leaves, but one of the others might. Later - well, I can't find it - but that doesn't mean it's not. SIGH. Keep trying, guys, please!

For what it's worth, I found reference to 2 Eleagnus - E. umbellata - a semi evergreen the leaves are described by Anita Periere as "have wavy edges and silvery undersides." The other she refers to is E. pungens, which she describes as a spiny shrub. Might be red-herrings but maybe further routes to investigate.

See above - I did try them all via google. Mine is most definitely completely evergreen. Also, it's not spiky. There's a picture of E.umbellata in Hillier - no, it's not that one! No luck as yet!

Try Osmanthus x fortunei

Looked at picture in Hillier - not much like it, sorry. Good thinking.

defo not E.pungens, can rule that one out for you spritz - i have one of these and completely different! will have a look through some of my dutch books for ya.

how about Ardidia crispa - does your plant flower and have fruit? cos these do, not sure about the underside of the leaf and my pic does'nt show or mention this but the top side looks very simular! there is also another variety that sounds like a possiblilty A. japonica - but i don't have a pic.

another to try would be Azara several spec, with toothed hairless dark green leaves, again i think most do flower, and no pic, or mention of underside of leaf, but might be another avenue to try.

Hi Barbara
Iv just taken a PIC of a SHRUB i have in apot in my garden It looks just like the 1 your trying2name?But its wet from the rain.What do you THINK is it this ?

No Jacque, yours is much spikier and glossier and a deeper green. Thanks for trying! majeeka, I shall check your suggestions out.

You could also check some of the brachyglottis spritz (they used to be senecios). I have B.munroi which looks a bit similar

Yes, but only a bit, I'm afraid, Andrew! I might have to cut a bit off and send it to the RHS I think. It really is a mystery, this one. Now if it were to flower, that would help, wouldn't it! I shall be keeping my beady eye on it each month!

Hi majeeka - have checked both of your suggestions, no luck I'm afraid. Any other thoughts?

no fraid not apart from my A-Z which i know you have yourself, i only have my dutch ident books (which are a little bit out of date anyway), and i have given you everything remotely like it from there - where did you get it from? if a garden centre or nursary maybe they would know? sorry i can't be of more help, good luck with finding it - please let us know if you do get to the bottom of it.

I inherited it! It was here in the garden (hidden at the back of an inaccessible border) until the Ceanothus died and I was able to scramble up the wall and literally crawl under the Weeping Pear to the back fence - and there it was! I almost wish I hadn't found it, 'cos it's driving me mad!

How about an olearia (daisy bush)?

Not to be impertinent, but maybe it is some kind of nut tree.

I will check out the Olearia - don't think it's a nut tree,Lori, no signs of dropped nuts or shells under or round or on it.

Andrew may be on the right track, I'll now go for Olearia macradonta.

Although it has yet to flower to be sure, I think I agree with Bluespruce and Andrew - in the RHS photo the leaves do look VERY like those on my mystery shrub - Bit scary to read that it grows to 20' x 15' though! Thank you all, guys, for your research. I knew I could count on you to ID it! Nice if it does flower, now that I've cleared the border a bit it has more light so watch this space! :-)