New stranger popped up in the border. Stiff growth...shrub...
TIA.....

Maybe Mulberry?

Thank you, but neither of those.....

When I first saw it, I thought oak, but no....

Then I thought it looked like a smaller leaf tecomaria, but no again....

I see nothing else similar anywhere around, but there were gardeners here at one time long ago and things do pop up. It's coming up in what was a small empty space between a large cotoneaster and a hedge of mixed privet and escallonia.....

I've grown mulberry...I've not grown English Hawthorn but I believe it's much 'stiffer' with tighter growth in nature than the hawthorn appears to be.

Reminds me of Ribes (goosberry)

hey, carol...that's a possibility....I'll look that up. I've never grown it, but was thinking about doing so now. Thanks.

I think there are a couple that are natives.

I've looked it up and I think you're right...yippeee! It makes sense for this area also...either native, was here before or bird sown......cool!...and deer resistant. I will dig him and put him in a more appropriate spot. Funny, just a day or so ago I was thinking I should grow these.

don't gooseberries have little thorns along the canes?

The domestic ones I remember sure do, but I've seen wild varieties in the Sierras that didn't, if memory serves. It's been a long time since I've seen either.
According to Sunset Western Garden, the thorny ones are Gooseberry, and the spineless ones are called currants.

Aha! Hadn't even noticed, but I just checked and I DO have thorns....so I have gooseberry.

Thanks!

That was a pleasant find for you then Sherry.

Quite a few interesting plants have shown up here on this property that I've not encountered before....everyone else seems to know what they are, though..lol..even the roadside plants here intrigue me....

According to Sunset, there are 4 species that work in your zone, but those are just the ornamentals. Check out Gooseberry for your zone.

It does resemble Ribes (Gooseberry): http://www.laspilitas.com/grou...

I'm usually wrong, but the shape of the leaf just made me think of it, and I know some are native to Ca.