Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Variegated Ceanothus

mariegalaxymariegalaxy Posts: 29
in Problem solving


I believe this is a variegated Ceanothus that I've recently come across. It has been allowed to get out of hand so I would like to tidy it up, removing all the lower growth. My question is - is it ok to prune now and will it be too much to remove ALL the sucker-like growth this year? Or shall I do part now and wait until after flowering next year when I'll be giving it another tidy anyways. Thank you

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Do you mean you want to keep it as a standard, rather than it's natural shape?

    The lower growth is just normal - it's simply trying to rejuvenate itself, and you would take those new stems back to the main trunk if keeping it as a standard. Otherwise, you'd just let those grow, and do general reshaping after flowering next year.
    You can certainly prune just now, assuming you don't have any harsh weather forecast, but I'd avoid doing anything to the top for now. 

    They don't always respond to hard pruning anyway, and variegated forms of anything are always a bit less tough, so just bear that in mind  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • suehudsuehud Posts: 6
    I have a variegated ceanothus which - in general - is very healthy.  However, we had bad storms (in France) last Christmas and as it is planted on a bank, it tipped quite badly.  The roots are still very secure but it is now leaning in completely the wrong direction and is smothering all the plants beneath it.  If I prune HARD to try and encourage it to grow in the right direction, do I risk losing it?
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    I have lost Ceanothus through excessively hard pruning. But their normal lifespan is about 7-8 years anyway so the answer is to get a new one if that happens. They develop fast in their early years. 

    I’ve mostly pruned successfully after flowering, when I needed to.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    It rather looks to me from the photo that there two similar plants there. One the taller standard variegated Ceanothus but the bottom one looks to me more like a Euronymus with similar colouring.

    I might well be wrong though!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066
    I agree Lizzie27.  The bottom plant is more like Euronymus.
    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    It's a Euonymus, probably "Emerald and Gold'


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited April 2022
    The plant in front is a Euonymus, but the photos are from 2 years ago - old thread. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    @suehud , could you try gently lifting it up into its proper position, and staking it well to help it to stay there? Or has it been growing in the tilted position too long for that?
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Didn't notice the date @Fairygirl.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
Sign In or Register to comment.