Perhaps a Forsythia.

Interesting floral, I was thinking perhaps Chelone.

I compared the leaves to several of the forsythia in my yard and I don't think that's it. Even my largest leaf of forsythia is more narrow and longer, not as "Fat" as the mystery plant.

Although the leaves are a little jagged for typical Forsythia that feature often occurs on new growth. The opposite leave arrangement and the bark of the old, hollow stem with the prominent lenticels says Forsythia to me.

Chelone isn't a shrub and this plant clearly is.

Cut off cane to the right looks like forsythia

Yep. That's what I was going by.

Don't think it's a forsythia. Mind refuses to come up with the subtropical shrub that I think it might be.

Can you show us a closer view of the stem Embo and I are looking at?

How would a subtropical shrub be growing in z7?

Because some like cestrum and clereodendron are actually hardy in z7 in the US.
Wikipedia describes my location as humid subtropical. I can grow some lantana as die back perennials, crinums, sabal palm, etc. It's not like my z7 is Alaska or something ;0
I know it's not a verbena sp, but the foliage is reminscent of verbena and some things in verbena family, some of which are shrubs.

Well, obviously I'm not familiar with your climate but z7 is defined by average winter minima of 0 - 10f which doesn't sound sub tropical to me. Centrum nocturnum is supposedly hardy in 9 - 11. So there's clearly something I'm missing.

Please can you show that stem more clearly? I am trying to help.

Floral_uk, I will get some pictures of the stem in the morning, it was too dark and stormy out by the time I saw this message. I appreciate Y'alls help!!

Here are a couple more pictures. New(er) leaf growth, stem and back of leaf.

Nice pix! Still looks like Forsythia to me.

Yep.

I've never seen leaves like that on a forsythia, though the stems look right. I guess it shall show it's colors next spring:)

If it sets flower buds this year. So far it's pretty small.