Can you identify this bush, and how should I cut it back?

Mojisola

The grey one used to called Senecio - yet another plant that has been renamed - https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/102.shtml

Cut back as hard as you like - just leave stems a few inches long.

sobie

Leif wrote: »

Stupid question, but do they really eat them? I had several Cotoneaster, and the berries seemed to remain on them. If they really do eat them, I might be tempted to plant some new ones (in a new site). Birds are good, even if their poo sows weeds.

starlings & thrushes love them, Red berries go first. You probably had something more tempting in the garden at the time the berries where on the bush, or maybe you don't have any starlings/ thrushes in your garden.

And as others have said the flowers are great for bees too.

sobie

think the red stemed one might be a Escallonia (sorry I can't find a good link)

The grey leaved is brachyglottis (previously called Senecio)

Both can be pruned as much as you like.

Mojisola

sobie wrote: »

think the red stemed one might be a Escallonia

I agree - Escallonia. It's a very variable plant - from evergreens to deciduous, large leaved to small, flowers from white through to dark red. Compare your plant at various stages of the year and you should be able to narrow down its identity.

m13r13c13

Back to the Cotoneaster, we were lucky enough to have had a couple of Goldcrest visit ours. In flower it was buzzing with lots of different insects, not just bees. Lovely. Although this winter it has turned brown and not looking to great but hope it will return to it's former glory in the spring.

tejsmith

If you're lucky, you might even get Waxwing on your Cotoneaster - definitely would be worth leaving the berries for that!

whitesatin

This year was the first time we saw birds eating the berries on our cotoneaster. We thought naybe because the weather has been so cold.

jonny2510

Thanks for the input everyone. After 2 weekends work, 3 garden wheelie bins full of cuttings/branches, and about another 3 bins worth of cuttings left over, the job's more or less done!

Now I just have to hope it grows back :rotfl:

Leif

jonny2510 wrote: »

Now I just have to hope it grows back

It will unless you have real talent. I tried to kill one in a border. No chance. I left a stump in place, so I knew it would survive.