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California lilac/ceanothus

MartineBMartineB Posts: 68
help! My Californian lilac/ceanothus  is going very burnt on top. It must be the heat. Will it survive? What can I do?

Posts

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    It might be best to see a picture of this shrub. If you mean bare branches, it may be shedding to try and survive. Make sure your shrubs are mulched around the base and if they are still only 2-3 years old, best to water them in the late evening times.

    I have seen many evergreen shrubs with large leaves drooping. Some completely dried out and looking dead, particularly Elaeagnus shrubs. It would be interesting to to see what happens in the next few months.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Don't mulch, unless the soil is already damp, it just locks in the dryness.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    What can you do?   show a photo for a start please, otherwise you will get conflicting advice, such as, if your shrub is newly planted then it is dependent on you watering it thoroughly this summer.  If it is a large established shrub, then on no account should it be irrigated at all during summer... in its native environment it will go 6 months without water in Californian heat... it does not need to be watered..
    East Anglia, England
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    Marlorena

    Agree 100% !
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    I agree that in California that would be correct.
    However identical woody species, grown in different climates, develop very different anatomy and physiology, and so it is likely that a Ceanothus that has grown up in the UK.
    will behave quite differently from one in California.
    This has been shown in Olives imported from Greece, as against those grown soley in the UK.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • MartineBMartineB Posts: 68
    Thank you everybody. There is a photo of the plant. What do you all think? I would hate to loose it as it's beginning to fill a corner.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    The shrub looks fine to me. A few leaves dried up can be seen even when temperatures are slightly cooler. What I do recommend is a light prune to keep some of the whippy shoots slightly shorter and create more branching and also avoid it being caught by winds and frost in the colder months. Cutting now till early autumn is fine.

    Do keep on top of the watering, the shrub can do with extra help over this dry period. Water deep into the root area without a rose in the late evening times every 3-4 days will help it along.
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    Most of that plant, which looks like 'Autumnal Blue', is healthy with green all the way to the ground.  Has someone been spraying anything near you?...  
    I'm sorry to disagree with others but established Ceanothus do not require watering in this country, not even this weather which is a doddle to them, in fact it's a total waste of good resources to do so...   

    I think that plant has caught some weedkiller spray drift from a neighbouring garden...

    East Anglia, England
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    What is the evidence that weedkiller is involved?
    Very odd to make this most likely scenario, IMO.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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