Dwarf escallonia

I have 2 dwarf Escallonia plants in my garden, about 4 yrs old. Not sure which sort, flowers are a very dark pink almost purple. One is about 2 feet high the other a bit taller in parts. Should one cut the dead flowering heads off when they turn black? I cannot find any info online about this. I have cut them off the smaller one but not the other, and was going to see how they both fared next flowering time. Perhaps one of more expert gardeners on the forum could advise me.

 

Hi Pandaman, wouldn't it rather depend on whereabouts you live and how harsh or otherwise the winters are there? If the Escallonias are likely to suffer hard frosts, I'd leave them alone until the worst weather is over, then tidy them up. There's always a danger of stimulating tender new growth which will then get hit before the frosts are finished.
As you've set up a sort of trial, though, I look forward to reading the results later in the spring

 

Thanks for info. I live in south Leicestershire, we often miss snowfall here when it hits the country, frosts same as other midlands areas I would say. I have wrapped them in fleece the last 3 winters due to the fact that they are exposed to cold winds but have left them unwrapped this time to see how they fare. Will leave them as they are and see how they go. Thanks again. Must be warmer where you are in the south of France.

 

I used to live in Northants, so I've got an idea...
You'd be surprised how similar the climate is here! The sun's a lot fiercer when it does appear but still prone to frost and biting winds....

 

I didn’t realise you could get dwarf versions. My understanding with ‘regular’ Escallonias is that they can, if required, be trimmed up directly after flowering.

 

That would be late summer or autumn, though, @Freddy? Perhaps giving any new growth time to harden off a bit....

 

Hiya @noisette47 . I should have added…it may fail to flower in the same year as it’s trimmed.

 

Well, if Pandaman gets back to us later this year, we'll have our answer