What is the most attractive bush/shrub in the wurld?

[Deleted User]

Hibiscus hasn't been mentioned - probably because deciduous - but it's a beautiful shrub, i love it, grow 8 here, 2 in large pots the rest in the ground.

Bendy_House

Slinky said:

Bendy_House said:

Cali Lilac? Yes, really attractive when they work. I planted one in a corner a good 15 years ago, and it was the scrawniest specimen ever, with hardly any blooms. It did the decent thing itself, and keeled over.

Weirdly, another shrub - no idea what - grew in its place and is thriving; nice, green, bushy.

Take a photo and post it up, somebody will know what it is.

Cheers, Slinky.

Bendy_House

[Deleted User] said:

Hibiscus hasn't been mentioned - probably because deciduous - but it's a beautiful shrub, i love it, grow 8 here, 2 in large pots the rest in the ground.

Interesting indeed.

I do like white and purple flowers, but very few other colours (certainly not pinks and most reds). Orange is ok...

fatbelly

The leaves look like privet to me but I'm not sure of the flowers - hang on a minute and I'll check mine.

Edit: well the leaves are identical, but mine have no flowers, probably because I cut them back hard every autumn

Woolsery

The wilder form of privet flowers like that. Good for wildlife, but pruned and tamed in the garden it's  less useful and prone to sucker freely. You have been warned!

Slinky

I'm not great on the more unusual stuff, but I'd say privet too. Probably seed passed through a bird. Does it have black shiny berries in autumn?

Bendy_House

Can't say I recall black berries, but I'll look out for them this year.

They sucker freely, do they, Woolsery? Hmm, that sounds serious. Er, what does it mean...?

It's in a contained corner, with our gravel drive surrounding it, separated by a low wall. I presume 'suckers' means it spreads? There's been no sign of this yet, and it's been there for a good few years. But I'll get ready to stamp on them if necessary...

I'm very fond of it, as it just appeared by itself when the Cali Lilac went kaput. It hides a metal pole that receives our leccy. :-)

Thanks all. 

fatbelly

That is one good thing about privet - it does block a view for most of the year if that's what you want. Mine is a hedge so does need a good cut once a year. I've not noticed much wildlife interest but I did have a blackbird nest in it one year.

goldfinches

Definitely privet and beware sniffing the flowers - ours smelled like fermented cats pee. A friend used to beg some trimmings when we tidied up each year as their stick insects loved the leaves.

Woolsery

Bendy_House said:

Can't say I recall black berries, but I'll look out for them this year.

They sucker freely, do they, Woolsery? Hmm, that sounds serious. Er, what does it mean...?

I got a few berries with mine in the wild woodland we made, but their suckers began travelling about underground and they weren't that exciting compared with Buddleia , Wayfaring Tree, Spindle and Alder Buckthorn, so I'm afraid I bumped both of them off last year!