Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - July 25, 2011
From: Mohnton, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Pruning
Title: Cutting back perennials in PA
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
Can you pinch back echinacea in the spring to produce a shorter plant? I have some that get too tall and fall over.ANSWER:
Yes you can, but not this year.
There are a number of late-summer/fall blooming perennials that can be cut back by half in late spring/early summer. As a result, they will be shorter and sturdier (less likely to need staking or fall over). They will also be bushier and more floriferous.
I have had a similar problem in one of my perennial beds and tried it this year on:
Aconitum delphiniifolium (Larkspur-leaf monkshood)
Monarda didyma (Scarlet beebalm)
So far, so good ... the monarda is blooming on schedule at a shorter height than usual and the other two seem to be budding. I am in zone 5 and did it late in May ... you will want to do it a little earlier than that.
Besides these three and your Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower), you can also give the same treatment to:
Eupatoriadelphus maculatus (Joe-pye weed)
Physostegia virginiana (Fall obedient plant)
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (Aromatic aster)
and the tall sedum varieties.
From the Image Gallery
More Pruning Questions
Getting rid of yucca plants in Blanco, TX
May 12, 2009 - How does a person get rid of Yucca plants? We have four fig trees that do not bear figs, what do we need to do? We live in SE Blanco County, Texas.
view the full question and answer
Century Plant
April 20, 2013 - I have a century plant that has just begun to bloom. I have a transplanted a few pups, successfully. I am wondering how I am to go about removing the mother plant once it blooms and dies. I'm reading...
view the full question and answer
Need to control Turk's cap in front yard in Austin, TX
February 28, 2015 - I have several turks cap in my front yard- they grow well, but they grown huge-high and spread out. My neighbors' are much more compact! how can I keep them in control?
view the full question and answer
Trimming of penstemon after bloooming from Austin
April 30, 2012 - I planted a penstemon in my backyard last fall and it's doing great. Once the flowers have bloomed, do I cut the stalk back? It is about 2 ft tall and doesn't appear to be doing anything. I belie...
view the full question and answer
Failure to bloom of Texas Mountain Laurel
April 15, 2008 - My +/- 4 yr old Tx. Mountain Laurel, has never bloomed. It is in full sun. I sometimes (minimal) fertilize it. I've pretty much planted it and let it grow. Its been pruned back last year when som...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |