I have a fairly mature one of these think it's a willmotianum, after it has shed its leaves I generally leave it overwinter and then cut back hard around this time as is I think the general practice. Thing is this year it already has buds along the stems and generally looks healthy. It's a really nice shape from last year so can I just leave it to grow as it wants rather than cut it back without any negatives? Thanks GG
Hi GG I think you could just cut it back every second or even third year without it losing it's good shape. It's a bit like Caryopteris....I've known some that were chopped back to about 15cm every year and did flower well, if later, and others just sheared over lightly that did just as well but earlier. The trouble with chopping stuff back hard is that it leaves such a gap!
Thanks @noisette47 - yes it does leave an unsightly gap when chopped back so letting it alone will be a nice option to have. I shall leave it to its own devices this year and see what happens, so far so good as it is budilicious. Cheers GG
Got any photos GG? I admit to not knowing many plants, but this one sounds more like an eye disease than something grown in a garden
I does sound like something a bit nasty doesn't it . I think it's more commonly known as Blue Plumbago, so perhaps you know it as that. Still it is a lovely shrub, very hardy and compact and blooms for months, an intense blue. It looses its leaves in the late autumn but it is not cut back and still looks good over winter as the structure of the stems is nice and the withered blooms are quite handsome. Here is a link with some photos of the internet. I'd recommend it. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...stigma+willmottianum&revid=646994243&imgdii=_ Cheers GG
Nope didn't know it. Even Plumbago doesn't sound too healthy. Thanks for the link to the pics, looks like a possible for growing along the tops of retaining walls at my place.
