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Plant ID please.

GraysGrays Posts: 172
in Plants

Hi all,

Could anyone identify this plant please? It has just come into flower and will shortly be covered in these pink flowers.

Also, when would be the correct time to prune it? As you can see from the photo it has been neglected and grown wild over the patio, think it needs a good prune back?

Thanks.image

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,146

    It's a Cistus ... (aka Rock rose, but not a rose of course).  

    Trim it lightly after flowering ... I'd do it early autumn, but don't be too heavy handed with it. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hortum-cretaeHortum-cretae Posts: 979

    Cistus purpureus, will reach four feet in good conditions. As above, be gentle with tidying. 

    H-C

  • GraysGrays Posts: 172

    Thanks for the replies.

    Always a bit nervous when pruning, when you say be gentle, how much/far back would you look to prune it?

    Thanks.

  • Hortum-cretaeHortum-cretae Posts: 979

    It needs a tidy up after flowering. If you do it before, sort of late April time, it's possible that a late frost will catch it,but I have done that before with success.  After the main flush of flowering, late July, even August, works, too. Just stay in the green wood because, like so many plants from the Mediterranean, cistus don't regenerate well from old wood.

    H-C

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