Mahonia
Hello everyone, I have a Mahonia (standard japonica i think) bought at Wisley a year or so ago. It is only young no more than two foot tall. It wasn't in flower as I think it was summer when I bought it. I read online that its a good idea to cut it back to make it shrubby which I did and it has put on some good shoots all of which have lovely yellow flowers on. When would I prune it again. I haven't seen the lovely berries yet and didn't want to miss them...Im guessing another summer prune would kill any chance of the berries coming. Is this an every year prune plant or alternate years just so it dosen't get leggy? Thank you
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I don't know if you saw the picture of mine in the Plant Pictures thread Copper? It has been in the garden a number of years (more than 16 that I know of) and is about 6 foot high and wide. When I moved in, it was maybe 8 or more foot wide. I read about it in preparation for cutting it back and found a site that said spread unlimited!! ha ha.
I have found it to be fast growing and you just need to trim to tidy so I wouldn't worry about legginess.
If I'm wrong someone will correct me.
Thanks Cloggie. No I haven't seen a pic of it will try and search for it. I will probably leave it for this year as it is quite small still but do you know what best time is to cut it back if needed?
Ah Verdun, you reminded me of next doors' Charity which is very leggy. Bad photo with the sun behind but it has nothing until the top where it has gorgeous sprays of flowers. It's in a privet hedge anyway so the legginess doesn't really matter.
Mine looks a different type and is very rounded and dense.
Then I have another one which is very glossy and low growing (aquifolia).
Is that what it is Verdun? I inherited it and thought it was a Japonica. I thought this one was Aquifolium (only knee high, not head high like the one above)
It's a peculiar thing to prune. The branches are soft and fragrant (if I remember rightly). We were having a bonfire and threw the cuttings on and it burned like mad so it must be full of oils?!
Gotta love the glossiness of the Aquifolium eh?
Oh I meant the wood is soft, not the leaves, they are nastily prickly but the wood was a surprise. Easy to cut and orangey/yellow coloured in the centre.