Name that tree (!)

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

I'm trying to ID a tree that's growing up through my hedge at an odd angle.

I was tempted to get rid of it but it's evergreen and provides a handy diagonal screen across the houses to the rear once the leaves have fallen from its deciduous friends.

It also has pretty white/ cream flowers (small, numerous!) in early spring.

Photos to follow

[OlennasWimple]

Waiting for the photos...

[Kr1stina]

Curious to see an evergreen tree with white spring flowers . My guess is an overgrown shrub

[ErrolTheDragon]

The only evergreen tree with white spring flowers I can think of is holly but presumably that would be obvious and the flowers aren't that pretty.

[Kr1stina]

Viburnum tinus Eve price ? Although mine is flowering now , but it will do so on and off for months .

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

I tried to take some photos but they've come out terribly

I'm going to try and get some better ones tomorrow when the sun's on the other side.

I have a feeling it's going to be the equivalent of a tree-weed I've probably oversold the attractiveness of the flowers too. They're barely noticeable but I like the way they brighten up a shady area

[ChuckBiscuits]

Osmanthus?

[ErrolTheDragon]

Roughly what height is it (big tree, small tree, more of a shrub?)

[ErrolTheDragon]

Oh, and perhaps a photo of one leaf might be more informative than the whole thing.

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

I'll attach two photos but I don't expect anyone to ID anything from them, they're not good (one is the bark!) I'll snip a bit off tomorrow for a close up...

The foliage is very fine and feathery, needle-like but not sharp. I wondered if it was something related to yew but the 'needles' are much finer.

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

Errol it's getting on for 12ft tall. Very leggy. It's growing exactly on the boundary (through the hedge) but diagonally towards my neighbour so it doesn't impact my garden too much. There's a cluster of trees (the laburnum and stagshorn are on my side, the apple tree is theirs) thus it blends in. I'd likely prune it a bit once I know what it is but it's not out of control (yet). Neighbours are happy either way, house is rented to random 20-somethings and garden = weedy lawn plus apple tree

If it's a real nuisance specimen I'll get rid of it but it does a surprisingly good job of screening out the ugly houses/gardens diagonally opposite

[Kr1stina]

Coudl we have a close up of the leaves please ? Preferably with something like a hand or a pen for scale

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

Will do! I'm worried it's going to be something really basic after all this build up

[shovetheholly]

I can't really see from the pictures so this is a wild guess, but an evergreen with narrow leaves and white flowers - leptospermum?

[Kr1stina]

Some of the most beautiful gardens are full of perfectly ordinary plants, used well . Nothing wrong with something basic

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

Thanks Kr1stina

Here are a couple of photos!

[ErrolTheDragon]

Does it have berries? It looks like yew though paler and more delicate than the normal sort (are there variants?)

[Kr1stina]

I have no idea! Is it a grevillea ? They are not hardly round here but IIRC you live in the south east . And they usually have red flowers but you can get white ones .

They certainly can grow into a small tree with a proper trunk like the one you picture

[shovetheholly]

Goodness me, I really don't know. Could I be something like a fernleaf caragana? Even as I type that it doesn't feel right...

[shovetheholly]

Or some kind of acacia?

[Kr1stina]

I'm assuming you woudl have mentioned if it has cones or if the needles / leaves change colour in the autumn/ winter

[shovetheholly]

I still think it looks a lot like a weeping leptospermum (tea tree) tho...

Basically I don't have a clue!!

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

I've googled both of those - lovely specimens but not the one!

The new growth is a brighter green as you might expect. I like the way the sun catches it, it looks like golden fingers/ candelabra

The flowers are absolutely tiny but from a distance they cover the tree and brighten things up considerably at that time of year

No discernable berries or seed pods

I expected it to have sharp needles but it's quite soft - even the mature leaves. It reminds me of something you'd find in a fish tank

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

It looks like it ought to have cones really!

I thought it turned a bit darker green last winter but I might be imagining things. At the moment the tips are still mid-green/ yellowy green.

Off to google that one Shove...

[Gatekeeper]

I haven't got a clue what it is...am flummoxed but intrigued