Does anyone know what this is?

[NigelMolesworth]

It's about 2m high and there's a white flower inside the red raceme. It's in the front garden and I need to prune it but have no idea what I should be doing to it?! Any ideas? Thank you!

Cannot remember the name but you can be quite brutal in pruning it - cut out whole stalks down to the ground when it has finished flowering and it will sprout from the base in the spring. I would thin out every third stick on an annual rotation.

If you do this you will end up with a better shape than if you just chop it back a bit but you can also do that if you want to.

www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1149

I think it's a Pheasant bush, pruning details here

www.thegardenshop.ie/light-pruning-on-a-pheasant-bush/

Thank you everyone - that is extremely helpful! I have inherited a garden with lots of very overcrowded (and spiny!!) mature shrubs and am trying to work out what to do. You've saved me several hours of looking through my plant identification book!

Thank you.

Ps my dad is now well impressed with Mumsnet

I always call it Himalayan Honeysuckle/Leycestria..I didnt know it had another name.

I had one years ago and it was a lovely bush..I can't remember now why it had to go...I have just planted a new one this year. Yours looks a loveley colour