Shrub identification (might be a tree!)

[Jux]

Green/grey bark, very smooth. Leafy off shoots, has grown to nearly 6 ft but I've cut it down while I can.

Leaves are quite shiny on one side, and dull on the other as per pics.

It looks like bay- hard to tell from just a leaf though?
If it's bay it will smell lovely, especially if you crack the leaf.

Pic of the bark please.

Not bay. Will take a pic of the bark when it's light again -sorry didn't get back on as soon as I expected.

Here's the bark. Sorry for delay.

It self-seeded in my azalea pot last year. I left it so I could see if it did anything interesting, but it didn't. The ants like it, they like it a lot!

Here's the bark. Sorry for delay.

It self-seeded in my azalea pot last year. I left it so I could see if it did anything interesting, but it didn't. The ants like it, they like it a lot!

The leaves in pic are the azalea, btw.

Anyone?k

I have found an ant farm on this shrub! In fact, there are TWO herds that I can see. No wonder the ants are all over it.

I've only ever seen ants milking a herd on TV/YouTube before, so it's quite exciting. Feeling a bit sad I chopped the plant quite so savagely. I might let it grow back if I haven't killed it already.

Ailanthus?

Is it a laurel?

Ailanthus - the leaves don't grow in that sort of formation, sadly.

Laurel! Yes! Thanks Brett. Leaves are right, growth pattern right, young bark right.

Not surprising, there's quite a bit of it about anywhere you go. I'm glad I hacked it now was feeling a bit sorry for the ants, but i don't want laurel in my pots, so at some point they're going to have to find somewhere else to farm their aphids.

Thanks all!

Hah! Laurel is bay!

Wow, is it? I didn't know that; I am actually astonished.