fast growing shrub

Can anyone ID this shrub for me? It's very upright in habit and really fast growing. Was just 5 20ft stems when I moved in, but hacked it down to 1ft from the ground last Autumn and it's already agood 12ft but bushier. The underside of the leaves are silver. Sorry the pics aren't too good.

 

windy millar the one to know about THIS will be PETE, BM OR WILDFLOWER

 

Do hope someone can help coz it's been bugging me for yonks. It's looking a bit worse for wear at the mo, think the drought got to it. Would like to know what it is then I can hopefully propogate from it. Tried cuttings afew times but to no avail :(

 

H, Windy, surely it's some kind of Bamboo don't you think? It's very nice whatever; I'll be interested to know what it is. You'll have to put out a call to Banana Man who's probably having a lazy day with the little bananas!

 

HI LoL,
It does look similar to a bamboo in growth and leaf but the stems and base are shrub-like and woody. Have spent months googling trying to find something similar, but without a good idea as to what it might be I've not got anywhere.
Think it's deciduous but could be wrong as I've hacked it back the last 2 years in Autumn and my memory's not that good!!

 

Bananaman Have you any idea? It's a sort of pseudo bamboo looking thing

 

Looks a bit like somekind of willow to me

 

Sorry windy, I can't tell from the piccies. :(

But I like petes suggestion :D

 

Could it be the Reed Basket Willow?

 

That sounds like the sort of thing I was thinking of
If it is cuttings are easy.

 

this is the eleagnus willow - looks like your pics, Windy
http://environnement.ecoles.free.fr/ANNAM/MVC-119F-Salix%20elaeagnos_saule.JPG

 

Thanks all,
Yep that certainly looks like it Dendy. I thought it might be a Willow but didn't find it on a Google. I'll go and have another look in a mo.
Pete, how would I take the cuttings? I've tried a few times but they always rot.
Thank you all, I'm not worthy!

 

Right, think I've found it! :D Although not much info about it. It looks like it's Salix triandra 'Belge'. Found it at www.westwaleswillows.co.uk. Was hoping to find out if I'm right to cut it back so hard every year, because it really does get huge. I wonder how it came to be in my front garden, as I have never seen one anywhere before.
Thanks again everyone, you've just helped solve something that's puzzled me for 3 or 4 years. :D

 

Windy cuttings of willow are "normally" easy.
In the past I have just cut off the long shoots of previous seasons growth in winter and push them into the ground where you want them.
If the ground is a bit hard, then make a hole with a stick or iron rod first, firm it in and dont let it dry out the following summer.
Push them well down so a good few buds are underground and cut off any weak growth at the ends of the cuttings, I get at least 75% sucsess like that.

 

Thanks Pete,
was trying them in a pot which is probably where I went wrong Will wait til Winter and have a go.