Help - are you a gardener?

[Northern Star]

Hi,

Does anyone know what plant this could be?

[Herne Hill Guest]

It might be a sucker from a tree root. In the first picture it looks like it's been cut back to that level before.

Are there tree roots nearby?

[Northern Star]

Hi, it's just next to a lilac - could it be that? It seems to be growing at a lot faster rate than the lilac though and the lilac's branches are all brown and hard and not green 'at the ends'.

Edited to add that I just googled sucker from root and it seems lilac's are prone to that. So must be it. Thank you for your response.

[Herne Hill Guest]

Lilac suckers tend to have the same leaf though.

If this thing flowers I can have another go if it's still unidentified.

[jimmah]

Could it be Dogwood? Look up Cornus Alba on google but ignore all the pictures of red stalks, they only go that colour in autumn and winter. It looks to me like young dogwood which would be right for this time of year.