I bought this plant some years ago, but can't recall what it is...

[Sallythedog]

If anybody could identify this I would be enormously grateful.

I've actually moved it from one house to another as well, still ignorant of what it is. Please disregard the astrantia, hypericum and geranium. The unknown plant is the one with the long racemes of white flowers and a leaf a bit like holly. It's evergreen, currently about 75 cms tall, and quite bushy.

Garrya elliptica, I think (although the one I gave my mother years ago has just been wrecked by her inept gardener, so I have nothing to compare it to!)

Hmm. Just been looking at garrya on RHS website and now much less sure ...

Thankyou MyNight, I thought you'd cracked it, and if it wasn't Elliptica then maybe another variant. However, according to Wiki, Garrya leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, and mine aren't. Neither are the leaves covered in any sort of hair on the underside. Mine flowers in the summer as well.

I hope your mother had words with the gardener - I've just seen how much a replacement plant will cost!

I'm not that far from Wisley, but not an RHS member, I'm wondering if I went at a quiet time, there'd be somebody there who could help.

Yes, it was the timing of the tassels appearing - and the fact that these aren't exactly tassels anyway - that made me rethink. My mum's garrya (bought from an RHS show, doncha know) is producing little tassels now, but I think that is because the gardener, who is very much of the slash and burn persuasion, gave it such a drastic hack at the wrong time of year that it's rather confused.

I'm having a very enjoyable google now, but not yet found anything plausible. The RHS at Wisley should be able to help; once you've paid the entrance fee, I don't think the fact you're not a member will matter.

Even on the PC I can't see very well Could it be this? prunus lusitanica

... although the leaves on that look too long. There are some other prunus with long racemes of flowers.

Itea ilicifolia perhaps ?

Ooh, I've never heard of that, but I reckon you're right, bookbook!

It was just happy coincidence I did Maud . I was at Harlow Carr yesterday, and I was wandering around the plant centre, looking at everything at I noticed it there. I was interested enough to read the label!

Oh bookbook I am hugely indebted to you. It is indeed itea ilicifolia. Thank you for paying attention at Harlow Carr, and how fortunate for me that you were there at exactly the time I'm looking for this plant's identity.

Thanks for your help too MyNight. I am rather relieved that it isn't prunus lusitanica as I see that can grow to 70 ft!

I'm about to have a celebratory cup of tea, and then venture in the garden to do some deadheading, before tomorrow's rain.

Again, thank you both for taking the time to look and reply. I am enormously grateful.

Glad to help ! I am usually rubbish at the identifications

For me the most annoying thing about this is that I actually bought the damned thing, so at one point I must have known what it was. I can remember knowing that it was good against a wall or fence, although it did poorly in that position in my last garden. It has really come into its own in my new garden, and it is a very pretty and useful plant, as, in London at least, it is fully evergreen. This is the first year I've had so many racemes, so it is clearly in the right place now.

You can always tell when a plant is in its happy place - you ignore it, and next time you look, its taking over!

Happy to help (although, err, actually I didn't). And do feel free to call me Maud - I almost think of it as my name now!