[bendipa]

I discovered what appears to be a some sort of large evergreen herbaceous plant or possibly a shrub with long stems buried under a thicket of brambles and ivy. I took a photo showing what looks like dried up flowers at the end of a side shoot. Having cut all the main stems back I notice that near the crown the stems are 1cm thick and coloured mainly red but also flushed with yellow.

Any ideas please?

[sunshineband]

It looks like a young shoot of Viburnum tinus.

[Goosegirl]

Um - just been outside to look at mine which is in full flower and they are at the ends of the out-growing red stems rather than in the leaf axils. I'll have another loook at your pic and another think.

[bendipa]

Thanks for the suggestions, but someone on another gardening forum has actually managed to id it correctly. It's an American plant called Leucothoe fontanesiana, which I would never have guessed as I hadn't heard of this plant before.

[Goosegirl]

I have heard of it but haven't grown it - glad it's sorted.