What's this tree?

[MrsMontyD]

I've tried several apps and a reverse image search and can't get a conclusive answer, any suggestions appreciated.

Is it the uk

In the uk

Could it be star anise?

Looks like it could be star anise. Break off one of the fruit thingies and smell it maybe?

Pearl bush perhaps? More of a shrub than a tree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exochorda

I'm not sure it's a pearl bush, definitely more of tree, I think.

It's in the uk.

I'm not sure there's a clear distinction between what's a shrub and what's a tree, I'd have said that was more of a shrub than a tree, and the leaves and fruit do look a lot like that pearl bush. Have you seen it in flower?

The stems in the photo in this link look quite similar to yours

www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/exochorda.html

Looks like a shrub commonly known as the Bride

Exochorda is a good suggestion. Grows to about 4m. The picture shows a shrub, branches coming from low down, not a tree with a definite trunk. Exochorda is widely grown in the UK, particularly the variety “The Bride”.

Star Anise, Ilicium anisum, is another possibility. Seems to be less hardy than Ecochorda. Leaves are longer, less oval, which fits with first picture. I’ve never grown either so can’t be any more help as to which it is.

As PPs have said - Definitely Exochorda Macrantha The Bride. I’ve got an enormous one in my garden and it is stunning is early summer. if you prune the lower branches it will keep growing and become more tree like. Mine’s got a lovely twisted trunk.

Thank you, I'm convinced.

I haven't seen it in flower, I'll have to wait until spring.

I'm in the process of taking out some of the lower branches and tidying it up.

I'm dealing with what clearly was a beautiful established garden, that hasn't had any proper attention for the last few years.

Glad you resolved this because I was really scratching my head last night! I thought some sort of Illicium too but the seed pods weren't right. I can rest easy now.