ceanothus

Hi

Have been tiding up the ravages of winter and found my ceanothus in a sorry state. It's supposed to be evergreen but its brown and dead looking. I have cut off all the dead branches no signs of any new budding leaves. Is there any chance it might recover, or shall I just dig it up.

Chopper

 

Chopper is a good name most probaly you will end up choping it down

Such a tough two winters has taken its toll on lots of things , I had one a couple of years ago ,so I know what yours will look like , you could leave it till late April then decide, its still cold so everything has stopped growing again plants aint daft
Spruce

 

I'd leave it another month or so too.

I know several gardeners who've lost their ceanothus over these past 2 cold winters so it might just be as Spruce said - that you'll end up removing it.

Once they're at this point they don't often send up new growth from old wood so, it's a wait and see situation, i'd say.

 

[size=large]I lost mine last year. It was so lovely and I'm still grieving![/size]

 

I love ceanothus but it can be short lived even under ideal conditions - I think it's the price gardeners pay for its quick growth! I'm not risking another large specimen, as I had to get my husband to dig out the last corpse and it nearly killed him. Might grow a dwarf one, though.

 

I like those dwarf ones and have thought about getting one for here :P

 

Most Ceanothus are not very hardy, so I would expect it is just a result of the cold Winter, and I doubt it will come back.

I've got a c. thyrsiflorus repens - low growing one - which is brown and looks dead. 4' away is another Ceanothus (forgotten the cultivar) which looks fine.

 

Thanks for your imput, I'll give it a couple of months just to make sure. Piy it was a lovely shape and colour.



Chopper

 

Gotcha Jo It was the ~Bonesmart 'what done it'.

My ceanothus seems to have survived the ravages of the winter. Isn't it great to see the garden coming to life again



Sally