Is my Ceanothus dying?

Please can someone help me.

I have a large Ceanothus (California Lilac) shrub in my garden, it cascaded down over my wall and onto the footpath ... it was not in the path of pedestrians but last September the local council called to ask me to cut it back off the pavement.
I told them I would have to wait until the growing season had ended, my husband pruned it back in mid October.

Now almost all of the leaves and what is left of the dead flowers have blackened, it looks as if it is dying and I am most upset about it.
There are some green leaves on some of the branches but mostly they are blackened.

Please can someone tell me if they too think it could be dying and if there is anything I can do to save it.
I know we have had a particularly hard Winter and maybe that's the cause of the decline of the shrub and not the pruning.

All help and advice greatly appreciated.

Gillian

 

sorry to have no good news but I think it probably is. The cold and snow are the most likely cause, although they can be funny with pruning and are generally a bit tempremental. If it has green leaves it is alive and will more than likey regrow, however it be better to start again a healthy happy young ceanothus is pretty quick growing.

 

HI Cool4cats. Mine is evergreen I dont know if there are different varieties (sp) Mine is upright growing and very sturdy. Im sure there will be people on GC who will be able to give you more helpful advice.:thmb: 02

 

I go along with plantman I'm afraid Gillian, it might be the cold winter but I think its more to do with the cutting back.
I've always found that a light cut back after flowering, say June some time is best, a late prune in October is not good and definitely not into leafless branches.

I'm assuming its the spring early summer flowering kind.

 

Hi Cool4Cats .Most Ceanothus are Evergreen and only require pruning to keep them in shape.
The best time to prune them is soon after flowering.
Ceanothus will not produce shoots from old wood so never prune back to old wood. music.