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Unknown shrub

mchuamchua Posts: 210
in Plants
Can anyone tell what this shrub is? I want to look after it of course but I don’t want to prune it at the wrong time. It’s finished blooming so I can’t tell from the flowers. I’ve inherited a big garden and many things here I don’t know the names of. Really want to make things nice. 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It looks a lot like the Philadelphus coronarius Aureus I have in my garden.
    Lime green foliage in the spring that fades a bit over summer.
    White scented flowers in the spring

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Damn, so I just missed the pruning months  
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2021
    This shrub is best pruned by removing the oldest one third of the stems at the base. You could do that now. 

    Repeat for the next two years and you have a totally rejuvenated shrub, and you avoid the ‘shaving brush’ effect which can happen if you just take the shears to it. 
    😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I only grow it for the foliage so I prune it right back this time of year.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Dovefromabove said:
    This shrub is best pruned by removing the oldest one third of the stems at the base. You could do that now. 

    Repeat for the next two years and you have a totally rejuvenated shrub, and you avoid the ‘shaving brush’ effect which can happen if you just take the shears to it. 
    😊 
    I agree! It's got quite an attractive vase shape, but removing some of the older canes would open it up nicely without affecting next year's flowers or the overall shape.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Dovefromabove said:
    This shrub is best pruned by removing the oldest one third of the stems at the base. You could do that now. 

    Repeat for the next two years and you have a totally rejuvenated shrub, and you avoid the ‘shaving brush’ effect which can happen if you just take the shears to it. 
    😊 
    It’s difficult to tell the difference. Should I try to take from the centre?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Just do a third at a time - roughly. It doesn't have to be exact @mchua, and you'll hopefully see neat year that the bit you've cut back in the first year will look slightly different. Then just repeat with the other two thirds over the next 2 years. 
    If you're worried, you could always loosely tie some string round the bit you've cut back, so that you can see where to go next  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Thank you. I’ll give it a go. The stems I take down to the base won’t grow back tho right?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Some will grow again next year, and the shrub will also produce new stems.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    When I do mine, I take the stems that I can get to right down to the ground and take others back as close to the ground as my loppers will allow.
    As @Fairygirl says above - you'll get new stems coming from the ground and the stubby stems send out fresh shoots too.
    I also cut some of the remaining stems back to different heights to try and keep the shrub in a nice shape.


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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