Ceanothus not flowering

[vrj201]

Hi all,

Sadly this evergreen has not yet flowered this year.I don't know if there is anything wrong with it..

Here's a link if anyone would like to take a look and give us their opinion.

VJ

[David E. Ross]

Where are you? That is, what climate? Ceanothus is hardy only to about

20F and then only if temperatures below freezing are of short duration.

Ceanothus is indeed evergreen, but your photos indicate it is quite leafless. It also looks as if it were severely pruned. While Ceanothus can not only be trimmed but even sheared, I don't think it thrives if pruned back to major limbs. Sunset recommends against cutting any branch more than 1 inch in diameter.

Sunset also describes Ceanothus as relatively short-lived, surviving only 5-10 years.

Ceanothus requires very good drainage and only occasional watering. In its native environment in California, it receives only winter rains and survives without additional water for several months during rainless summers. Over-watered, it will not survive even 5 years.

[vrj201]

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply..we're located in the east of england..we have had this shrub for over 10 years..this is the first year it has behaved like this. Is it dead?

Kind Regards,

VJ

[Laura at theGardenPages]

If it makes you feel any better, I live in California and had one die on me after 5-6 years. They are short lived. I'm on my second one (5 years) and I'm starting to hold my breath.

You can scratch the wood with your fingernail to see if there is still green inside.

[vrj201]

Thanks Laura,i scratched the wood and did not find any green inside...i'll chop it down in a week or so..

Cheers,

VJ

[David E. Ross]

Sorry for the delay in replying. We were on vacation for over 2 weeks.

You've had this shrub for over 10 years. Yes, it's likely dead of old age.

Also, your climate is quite different from the native environment of Ceanothus. It might have died from too much moisture. It thrives in my climate, growing wild in the hills near my house. We generally get less than 20 inches of rain per year, never more than 35 inches in rare wet years. And the rain falls only between November and April, with no rain in the summer.