Pruning Hypericum Rose of Sharon

Sunflower · Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: Pruning Hypericum Rose of Sharon

Hi all, so the "fuchsia" have mostly been pruned back by about a third - you're right GPI, I didn't want a big hole in the garden so going to do it in thirds! The garden in general is such a wilderness out there right now, so thanks for your help with that.
Anyway, I have another question about pruning. We have two plants which I think are Hypericum 'Rose of Sharon'. Like the Fuchsia they're totally overgrown and quite twiggy. However, one is doing quite well, lots of leaves and berries though still twiggy in the middle. The other is just dead berries and a few leaves, and so last week I cut it back and it now stands about 3ft high. Is that a mistake? I'm now wondering if I should cut back the other one too? I know they start to show leaves late in Spring, or have I harmed one by pruning it so hard so late in the year. Websites I've reading on seem to vary about ideal pruning times and given they haven't been pruned back in ages I really don't know what would be best for them.
Again all, thanks for your help Very Happy

walltoall

Sunflower,
You got no response almost two months ago to a very interesting enquiry and Im have only just seen it. I'm guessing it is growing fine with a big show of flowers on short new growth. Am I right?
WallToAll

Sunflower · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:15 pm Post subject:

Hi walltoall,
Thanks for asking, the pruned one is coming on, not as fast as I thought though. I didn't prune the other two (found another one later), and they are beautiful but massive now. I will prune those in early spring to the size I want. I really like them though, I bought another for the other end of the garden. It's quite addictive - this gardening lark!!
Sunflower

walltoall · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:35 pm Post subject: Rose of Sharon

Sunflower,
One thing you should know about hypericum, Rose of Sharon, St.John's Wort is it's extraordinary enthusiasm for reproduction. I have had it for some years and would not be without it. But it's hard work pulling up all the tiny seedlings it scatters all over the place. You need to pull them while they are small. They put down a very resilient tap-root very quickly. Having said that, it is a very useful trait in a plant you want to cover something like a nondescript bank. I have also used in it an unkept garden to keep down weeds nettles and untidiness along a drive in a rectory!

Lovely foliage, nice flowers, colourful berries (which are not recommended eating). A nice thing about this self seeding lark is you never need to actually plant one, just wait and it'll plant itself. I let my plants stay in one place for about three years, then dig them up. For me they are very nice when no more than a foot or two high.