anyone know what kind of shrub this is?

16 years ago

I have a shrub in my yard that is getting quite big and is in need of some pruning. I don't know what it is or the best time/way to prune it. It is approx. 7 feet high and about 12 ft wide, deciduous, and has brown ridges on its limbs. Any ideas?

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Comments (8)

steve-g
Original Author
16 years ago
OK, i think i figured it out. Euonymus (burning bush)?
xantippe
16 years ago
I second the idea of a burning bush. I just saw one at the nursery that was identical... well, maybe smaller... just a little! :)
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Embothrium
16 years ago
Cut entire top to near the ground at end of winter when exceeding space available. Leave unpruned until next time it is growing out of bounds, then repeat. Should be an interval of at least several years between prunings. If not, space is too small or concept of "right" size is too narrow.
steve-g
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I totally neglected the front yard over the winter and did no pruning. What was a cute little front yard jungle last year is now an overwhelmingly overgrown monster this year. So, what are the pitfalls of pruning the burning bush back a little right now? Is the growing season *generally* a bad time to prune?
buyorsell888
16 years ago
Depends on what you mean by a little.

If branches are hitting you in the face, prune them back but drastic pruning as bboy suggests is better done when dormant.

If you have Rhodies and Azaleas that need pruning, now is the time, as they finish blooming
mdvaden_of_oregon
16 years ago
Removal of tips and height, removes natural hormones that limit sprouting, so be sure that height reduction is exactly the path of fighting nature which you want, before cutting.

If a plant is too big, there are ways to reduce it's size without whacking the top off.

Such as narrowing the canopy, allowing more space beneath.

I was given one about 2 feet taller than that, and narrowed and thinned the inside a little, to retain the natural form. That left space beneath to add small plants, and reduced the size without intitiating a hedging process.
Embothrium
16 years ago
Heading back branches of a burning bush part way does not result in an attractive effect, due to how these branches are put together. Replacement shoots coming from the cut ends also tend to go off in different directions from the original branch. Both problems are found with a variety of other shrubs as well.

With sheared hedges the shrubs are not being grown as individual specimens with a highly visible branching pattern. The congested appearance produced is secondary to the hedge effect.
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
16 years ago
I too have this shrub and it also has got too big for the place I have it planted. I was thinking I would have to scrap it until I read the comment about cutting it back to the ground, how much of a stub should I leave when I prune it next year. I'd love to get a few more years out of this Euonymus, it gives a nice effect where I have it planted, it's just getting too large for the space.

A......