[Gandan57]

Could an expert identify this shrub, and would it normally flower at this time of year?

[viettaclark]

It's a camellia and they usually flower in Feb. Mine have got buds swelling and a couple bursting so yours must be pretty sheltered.
Trouble with camellias is they produce masses of lovely flowers......then the frost turns them black and slimy.
And we're BOUND to get a frost with all this warm, wet weather making plants blossom early!!!

[sunshineband]

Some varieties of camellia do flower in January, but thsi one looks like a later one blooming early.

If you give it  a good feed of an ericaceaous plant food around end of Feb beginning of March-- granular slow release for rhododendrons is good -- it'll do even better next year.

[rubyrose]

hi one of my camellias had its first flower open on Christmas day which is early. it is in a sheltered position but other years it has started flowering in early january.   

[mumofstig]

The one at the end of the terrace has been flowering for a week or so - it's a couple of weeks early

[Gandan57]

Thanks for your replies, I had an inkling it was a camellia, honest! 

This plant was growing in a roadside garden hedge and I noticed it whilst on my travels.

[sion01]

It's a Camelia and they usually flower in Feb. Mine have got buds swelling and a couple bursting so yours must be pretty sheltered.
Trouble with Camelias is they produce masses of lovely flowers......then the frost turns them black and slimy.
And we're BOUND to get a frost with all this warm, wet weather making plants blossom early!!!

My camellia is thretening to flower I'm also worried about the black and slimy mess.SO I've dug out some fleece and if the bud's burst and frost is forcast I'll tuck them up nice and warm under the fleece