What's this tree? Any ideas?

[rich p]

Took the photo on the chalk South Downs; smallish tree

 

[numbnuts]

Triffid

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

could you tell if they were flower buds or seeds?
it could be a hydrangea.... and growing 'wild' would explain the leggy less than lush look to it.
It is just the leaves really look like hydrangeas.

 

[Globalti]

Google images says it's hydrangea.

 

[Over The Hill]

Our one has only just burst into flower last week. That one looks like it is about to flower. Mostly bright pink or blue.

 

[Steve Malkin]

Looks more like elder to me, are those not just unripe elderberries?

 

[rich p]

It's not a hydrangea. It's a 15 foot tree but the quality of the picture probably doesn't help you. I'll pop back there in a week or two to see what's happened to the seed head.

 

[rich p]

Looks more like elder to me, are those not just unripe elderberries?

I would have thought I'd recognise elder but maybe I was fooled. Those 'seeds' were flat in profile though.

 

[ayceejay]

My guess is dogwood (Cornus) possibly Cornus mas or Cornellian Cherry its common name.

 

[hopless500]

Don't think it is elder - elder (below) has smaller, rounder buds). Plus we have tons of it in our garden and I spend all my time trying to pull up saplings, and my first thought wasn't, "ooh, that's elder!".
Don't suppose you have any pics of the stems/bark? That would be a giveaway if it's elder.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Doesn't ring true for elder for me....

 

[rich p]

Right, I've done some googling and can inform the breathless public that it is a Wayfaring Tree/ Viburnum Lantana
http://kootation.com/viburnum-lantana.html

 

[lukesdad]

Riveting , thank you R Tit marsh of Brighton.