ID my bush

New house has this monstrosity growing on the front garden boundary. if the rest of the house is anything to go by I suspect its never been maintained. I want to start getting it under control but I’ve no experience with bushes needing such heavy pruning.
So, what is it? And what do I do with it??

Bush jokes anticipated and welcome.

Rhododendron

I’d watch out – the EU want to make having one a criminal offence.

Most disappointing thread content ever!

looks like Laurel to me.

Yeah my initial thought was laurel too, but it could be rhododendron. Laurel doesn’t normally bush out quite like that (certainly not the bloody horrible stuff we have at our house anyway).

Me too revoltos. Either way, kill it with fire.

iIf it is rhod, it will have some really nice flowers in the summer though. And in fact you can see the buds so I think it is rhod.

Prunus laurocerasus?

Laurel. Wait till early summer prune back to about 6 inches smaller than desired using a trimmer and saw . Then maintain using secateurs so as not to mangle leaves. Looks ok ish and does not shed in autumn.

Is that a Bryant estate?

No it looks like a BMW 1 Series

Certainly not Rhodo – the buds are all wrong… Rhodos have big fat buds at the end of the branch, usually pink/red in colour, the buds on this are too small, at the leaf joins instead of the end and too white to be Rhodo.

It is some variety of Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), but maybe not Common Laurel as the leaves look too slim. Could be Prunus lucitanica?

EDIT – Actually really good as a hedge if you can get it under control, but be careful of cutting if back into bare wood initially. If you really need to hack it back heavily do one side at a time, so that it has chance to recover. Once it is under control then just as Crankboy say above.

Marijuana.
But seriously definitely not Rhodedendron. I had on in my previous house. The leaves on your bush are too dense and the buds all wrong.

crankboy – Member
….
Is that a Bryant estate?

I don’t know, pretty generic late 90’s tedium. Mines much nicer than those in the background (bigger, sadly no less tedious)

Good advice guys. I think the road facing side needs a lot taking off, the inside probably less so.
Will an electric trimmer from HSS be the tool for the job? Just hack straight into it??

“Will an electric trimmer from HSS be the tool for the job? Just hack straight into it??”
and a pruning saw like a massive folding knife with very evil teeth that cut on the back stroke . Light trim with trimmer so you can see in then identify the bigger bits to come out . cut a small notch on the down side of the branch then saw down to the notch this should reduce the chance of a split going in to the living bit. Then true it up with the trimmer. I have no qualifications in this save for having a laurel hedge that grew out of control.

The leaves take for ever to compost

Looks like a Sarcococca to me. Do the flowers smell sweet?

[/url]Sarcococca

Laurel

A hardy variety, certainly.

Judging by the unrestrained growth, it’s certainly not a Brazilian bush.

@st66 – sarcoccoa leaves are much smaller than that, not so deeply veined and more pointed, plus it’s already flowered so wouldn’t have buds at the mo. Nice try tho 😉

The title of this thread is highly misleading. 😡

It’s 5pm and I want to see real bush or trimming bush.

Brazilian bush is fine with me. 😆

Brazilan bush, as requested.