be nice to know where you are.. and have a close up of a leaf or two ...

but i dont understand why you want the same thing ... it doesnt fit in the spot.. and that is shown by how its been pruned into a weird shape ...

you can do a whole lot better ....find an appropriate forum should you want a shrub.. conifer... perennial.. etc ...

ken

It looks like Lonicera nitida, Box Honeysuckle.

I'd say only half-dead.

Maybe only half dead now but on it's way out. I'm not sure an ID is going to help much, other than to satisfy curiosity. Whatever it is (and Mike may very well be correct), it is not a good choice for that specific location and I certainly would not be inclined to replace with another just like it.

If Croydon is where Sylvia lives it's just outside London. The wall would fit that surmise too.

I also thought of Lonicera nitida. In which case it's hardly worth keeping. If you want to retain it you can cut it down to the ground and it will resprout. L nitida often gets bald dead patches as it ages, especially if it has been constantly clipped without any rejuventation pruning.

Sylvia, regarding whether or not it suits the space, Ken gardens on an area which would contain a small housing estate over here and can afford to spread out. So I wouldn't take much notice on his advice for small space gardening. If you want it keep it. But personally I can think of a lot of more interesting shrubs for that spot.

So I wouldn't take much notice on his advice for small space gardening.

==>>> really flora .. perhaps you misread what i meant ...

it has been speared UP on the patio side.. because it was encroaching on the patio ...

its been sheared on the other side.. presumably because it was encroaching on something there ...

and it needs to be sheared on top.. becasue it is blocking out sunshine to the neighbor ...

it is too big a plant.. in too small a space ... how did you get where you got on that logic???

i am sure.. the cute little plant purchased.. oh so many years ago.. fit the spot perfectly .. who knew it would grow up to be so large ..???

soo flora.. suggesting a plant with smaller potential.. not replanting the same.. is wrong in what way ...

though i note.. you did get to my second thought.. that she could do so much better ....

ken

PS: FLORA: in these micro gardens.. what recourse does one neighbor have.. when the one next door.. shades them out .... is there something akin to homeowner assoc rules... or some such????

Ken - you know me of old and no offence was intended. But your very choice of the word 'encroaching' for a plant that dares to sneak out of its allotted space illustrates my point. Whether or not it 'fits in the spot' is entirely a matter of opinion. Who says it is too big in too small a space? Maybe the OP likes the effect? We have no idea of Sylvia's taste but maybe she likes the slightly bonsai vibe going on there? As to needing to be sheared on top, the neighbour may well like the privacy it gives and we also don't know which direction the sun comes from. I would be furious if my neighbour cut his trees down as it would expose my entire garden to his gaze. We just don't know enough about the situation to pontificate about it.

Regarding the shade issue, no we don't have HOAs. First you talk to the neighbour. Then if nothing happens you can cut anything back which crosses the boundary. And the boundary is usually very clear because we have walls and fences. Sometimes it ends up in court.

Anyhow - back to the id question. Lonicera nitida is an intensely boring, extremely common shrub over here and there are many more interesting choices for the spot, of all shapes and sizes.

"Intensely boring" LOL Flora, you hit the nail on the head!

The bloom is almost microscopic, no Fall color, and the branching pattern is nothing to brag about unless you constantly prune it to your wishes. It also sends out long whips of new growth which give it an untidy appearance. It would take a long time to be useful as a hedge and a lot of work to keep it looking good

I have a patch of it just for curiosity sake because I have the room for it. I wouldn't hesitate removing it if the need arose.

This patch is about 30 years old and is on it's own. It's been pruned once a few years ago to lower the height. I've never watered it. I could get a closeup if anybody feels the need. It has opposite leaves as found in all Honeysuckles.

Mike

The plain green form (species) may be "intensely boring" but I find the gold or variegated forms attractive and very useful additions in areas of dry shade. 'Lemon Beauty' is a stunner in my book and I use it often in designs. I am also quite fond of 'Twiggy', which forms a tight attractive mound, suitable for the smallest garden.

Nothing wrong with a colorful evergreen shrub that tolerates dry shade! When small, they also make great container subjects.

I've seen 'Lemon Beauty'. It's on my 'to get' list. I have a lot of dry shade areas.

The deer and elk don't touch my Lonicera 'Nitida'.

Mike

Oh, yes, the variegated forms are lovely. I had Lemon Beauty in my window boxes for a few years. Baggesen's Gold I find a bit dull as the colour tends to fade to anaemic green/yellow.

L pileata is a bit more interesting to look at but it's a supermarket carpark plant in my mind. Tough and choppable.

LOL! I find 'Baggesen's Gold' the least appealing as well. As so many gold leaved plants do, it always looks scorched in much sun and just washed out in shade.

L. pileata makes a great groundcover, specially on a slope, as it has a very directional 'flow' to its growth. And is excellent with erosion control or slope stabilization. A very useful plant if not overly stimulating :-)