This was a little plant given to me a few years ago which is growing in one of the driest spots in the garden, which is also one of the breeziest. It's very close to my Tamarisk tree (about 3ft away). I kept it mainly to see if it would actually do anything. In the past couple of years it has produced very small inconspicuous white flowers, unscented (as is the foliage), and no fruit/ berries/ seeds of any kind. It is absolutely bursting with health and seems to thrive in its position, as it is now a 6ft high shrub with a thick trunk. I have never discovered what it is and no-one else seems to know either. So come on folks, rise to the challenge - there's no prize, just the warm glow of knowing more than me (everyone's a winner then)!
The second picture, the leaves look a bit like a pieris.
valmarg
Thanks Val, but nope, deffo not a pieris - it's not an acid loving plant. I'm thinking this one will run and run!
;D
Try osmanthus x burkwoodii for a match, or if the undersides of the leaves are a bit downy, try olearia.
? Choisya. Usually perfumed but there are different varieties.
Could be Osmanthus decorus, thiose leaves look quite long. The flowers don't smell so good on O.decorus.
Sorry to take so long in replying, folks, and many thanks for your suggestions. I've got Osmanthus B and Olearia and I used to have choisya and it's not any of those, though I'd say the nearest suggestion is Osmanthus decorus. Only trouble is, the tiny white flowers on this were single, not in any kind of cluster, and completely devoid of scent.
Oh well, it's proved its worth as an elegant shrub that really thrives in dry soil, so although I'm planning to cut it down to make way for something else, I've taken some decent cuttings.