Solved Unknown Shrub

I have recently discovered that a shrub with scented white flowers, that I've had for 9 years and was bought as Elliottia bracteata.
It's a relatively small shrub and leaves are clustered around the ends of branches/twigs and look as if they are alternately arranged.
However it is not Elliottia bracteata see Elliottia bracteata - Trees and Shrubs Online (thanks to @CarolineL for flagging this)
So now begins guess the shrub any and all guesses accepted. If extra photos or close ups are needed let me know.

 

Whatever, I like it.

 

Hi @NigelJ

According to a plant identification app I use ("plant.net") this might be Clethra Alnifolia ("coastal sweet pepperbrush").

This is a photo of coastal sweet pepperbrush that I found online.

 

Clethra alnifolia?

Looks like a very nice shrub indeed

 

Beaten by @CostasK by two minutes

 

Clethra alnifolia is a possibility, but the foliage appears darker and more importantly the Clethra flower is tapered and peters out while on mine it's flowers are more truncated. Also Clethra alnifolia flowers appear to be a bit like buddleja flowers with branching pannicles from the base of the main flower. Where as mine are a single flower head from the tip of the branch.
I have a couple of other Clethra one from the same supplier, these are both Asian forms but I'll have a look tomorrow morning.

 

So do I Victoria.

 

Clethra alnifolia..showing close up details.

 

Finally able to get out and have a good look, thank you @Silver surfer for the excellent set of photos.
Clethra alnifolia it is and thank you to those who suggested it.
Mine would probably be happier with a bit more moisture than where it currently is.
The problem I have with Plant.net is that I don't know the quality of the data in it, or how it is curated. In this case depending which picture I used, it gave Clethra alnifolia with a probability of 61.4% down to 14.0%.
I find anything a little unusual on Plant.net typically gets a max probability for an id of around 10.0%.

 

Yes, I never take Plant.net's suggestion as gospel, I like to see what the result is and then look it up, to see if it is indeed correct. Quite often it gets the plant family correct but not the variant.

Having said that, I usually get a much higher percentage than 10% - I think for your plant I had gotten 60-70%.

Overall I find that it is a useful tool but you should not assume it is necessarily correct.

 

Glad you got the correct id.
Elliottia bracteata...hmm!
Yet another shrub misnamed when bought.
It happens.

A local nursery that grows their own stuff had a whole bench of baby Cotoneasters for sale.
They were all Lonicera caerulea......common names blue honeysuckle, sweetberry honeysuckle, fly honeysuckle, blue-berried honeysuckle, or the honeyberry,! Duh.
What chance do novices have that have no plant knowledge.

 

@CostasK I think that you have the right approach to all these wonderful apps and such like.
I find it works better with a general view of the bush than a close up of part of the bush. Probably because most of the data it has is of the whole plant rather than specific bits.

 

Over the years I've had a number of misnamed plants from various nurseries, however the taxonomists don't help with their frequent renamings, which are often ignored by the trade.
Currently the majority of my mahonias are actually berberis. I'm actually in favour of calling the whole lot either Mahberis or Berhonia.

 

I run a charity plant sale to support various animal charities and many beginner gardeners support it as my plants are easy, reliably hardy for the area as they grow in my garden and you get a good “ bang for your buck” ie most plants I sell in 2 or 3 ltr pots. You would get the same plant for 3 times the price in a 9 cm pot in a garden centre! I am very happy to advise buyers if I can as we all need to start somewhere! Some of the buyers come armed with some god awful app on their phones which more often than not appears totally useless at identifying plants I have for sale. I sometimes get a little frustrated to say the least when I am told I am incorrect about a plant I have grown for 30 odd years because the app says I am when I am 100% certain I know what the plant is. Add in that some of my plants on the app are labelled poisonous and even dangerous! it takes me all my time to not smack the odd person. How I am still alive having handled all my plants with no gloves on for years, plus never had any of my animals killed either by “ lethal” plants is obviously a complete miracle…..health and safety gone mad.

 

I can never remember the new name for most sedums, I have to look it up each time!

(I just did that, it's hylotelephium - not exactly an easy name).