Pruning Echium fastuosum
- To: j*@earthlink.net
- Subject: Pruning Echium fastuosum
- From: A* W*
- Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 09:59:23 -0700
Jan,
You've seen my monster Echium, planted as a young seedling from a 1-gal.
can in 1991, and now some 12 to 15 feet across, taller than that when in
flower. We cut back each flowering stalk to the very last set of
leaves, that's really HARD pruning, yet it snaps back quickly and grows
as large, if not larger than the year before! The stems are very
brittle, often snap off while one is working around the plant trying to
get it cut down, but new growth breaks from the old wood quickly and it
just goes on and on. I don't think there's any way to keep this plant
"small" for your garden!
I want mine to cover ground, a shrub, not a tree, but if you want a tree
I would think you'd prune accordingly right from the start, leaving only
3 to 4 stems.
I put a seedling of the mother plant on a hot, dry southwest facing
slope in 1997, and a year later it was 5' x 5' and now is about 10'.
Both were planted in native soil, no fertilizer at any time, some summer
water. The "baby" was badly frost bitten 2 winters ago, snapped back
with no harm done, and this year provided a great interest by developing
a fasciation (per Joe Brosius) which I've yet to remove as I want to get
a picture of it. The fasciation is fascinating!
Love, Anne
