Im not sure Steve di...It looks like a laurel perhaps....Im sure some other GOYers will be able to help....Is that new growth at soil level?...If it were mine i would cut back to the new growth and replant it higher in the pot with fresh compost...or in the ground.....:>)

it looks like Aucuba japonica-- mines in the ground and its taller then me and about as wide as its tall ( the birds nest in it!) and I think that it would love to be repotted, someone else may know how happy it will be permanently in a pot :o)

I agree, it looks like an Aucuba.

I have 3 of them and they thrive in the ground anywhere, if you're keeping it in a pot buy a pot that's double the size of yours and transplant it.

To start, i'd remove any loose soil from around the roots and then put in some fresh compost and replant it into that, firming the soil down gently.
Fill the compost to about 1.5" below the rim of the pot.

I would also do the same as Motinot and cut it back to the fresh low growth but in the ideal world .... this plant wants to be in the open ground.

I agree it is an acuba and as Louise1 says it does need repotting into a bigger pot. better still pop into the ground. A trim as motinot suggestes is good advice to

Thanks for all your replies and have looked on google images for Aucuba. It looks like a totally different plant when grown and healthy! lol

I'll be replanting this in the ground at the weekend or next week when i'm off.

How about if I swap it over with the other unknown plant that i've got? (See other questions)

I'll be honest i'm a novice when coming to pruning so where do i trim to on this plant? All the way down to the bottom where there are fresh leaves coming through? If i was to do that, how long would it take to grow to a nice size again?

Sorry for all the questions but i've not got a clue! lol. Want to make it a nice job rather than a that'll do job!!
My moto is "Job worth doing, Its worth doing well!"

If it was me, i'd cut off those 'legs' - make the cut down at the bottom of them so that they're removed completely.
You'll only be left with the new growth then and this will mean the plant can put all its energy into that growth and not have to use any on the old, leggy areas.

They're quite quick growing and it you position it in a sunny spot the foliage will be a brighter colour than if it's in shade.
I have 1 in full sun, 1 in shade and 1 in semi shade !

I'd do as Louise says and cut it down to the new growth - but bear in mind, this shrub wants to get 8 feet high and 8 feet wide - if you have a shady area to fill up (they grow very well in quite a lot of shade), this would be a useful thing, but if you have a small garden, you might want to think again...

Thanks Louise. When you say cut the legs off, should i leave the stems so that the plant is still tall but bare?

Should i replant now into ground? The garden doesn't get much sun at the mo

Sorry for questions but want to get it right! lol

Cut those stems down to the ground so that there aren't any tall bits that stand up.
When you look at the plant you should just see the leaves that are near the soil.

As for planting out now .... i would - because i live in a mild and sheltered area, if you're the same do it now, if you're in an area that gets a lot of frosts or cold winds i'd leave it until the end of March.

Don't worry about all the questions, we all have to start somewhere :-)

Thanks Louise for replying.
We live in a sheltered area so will trim and replant it at the weekend.
How long will it take to grow back to the size it is now? Months or years? lol

It looks about 18" tall there, is that about right ?
If you plant it into a hole twice the size of the rootball, into a good (not clayey or boggy) soil with some composted manure (from your garden centre), in a sunny or semi shade position it'll make a good few inches each year .... i'm not sure exactly how much - i hope someone else will join us and say with more accuracy :-)

Well have some great sunshine yesterday I managed to get out in the garden and do some bits. I replanted this into the ground but couldn't get the size you suggested Louise as i hit all the broken bricks, Concrete & stones that is there i presume as drainage. Probably just slightly bigger than the size of a football. I managed to pull it out from the pot with its original compost molded to it still. Trimmed all leaves off and I have left just the stems to make it slightly bigger. Fingers crossed for the summer!!

Posted new pic above of replanted trimmed plant. Very sandy soil though although i'm not surprised with the amount of hardcore at the bottom. Suprised I didn't find a cement mixer or trowls down there!! lol

What couldn't you get the size of, Steve ?

I'm not so sure that leaving those stems will be good for it, i'd cut them down to the ground or you'll end up with an odd looking thing with small bits of new growth near the top of them and not much below and .... more importantly, all that new growth at the bottom of the plant won't get the 'ooomph' and energy it needs to start growing upwards because it's being taken by those stems which are trying to produce new growth.

To sum it up, cut off those stems !!!

Ohhhhhhhh!! Spoilsport Louise!! lol

I couldn't did the size of 2 footballs you suggested.

I'm just of to garden centre now so will cut of those stems when i get back! :-( lol

Thank goodness for that - take 'em down to the ground! And I'm not sure about its position - bit too close to whatever's behind it for my liking, unless there's only ivy on the ground for a distance of 3 feet - it will get 4 or 5 feet across, and wants to do that all round, not just at the front.

Where would you suggest I plant it Bamboo? I would of loved to have put it in the corner where the dead ivy was but the ground isn't deep because of that brickwall & the old clematis plant is there. Maybe 5-6 inches of soil. I've posted another picture above

I can't tell where it is in relation to the first photo above, but as long as it's got 2.5 feet all around it to give it room to bush out, it'll be fine.