freemontedendron

[foxyferret]

when do I prune it? My freemontedendron is a beautiful specimen, lovely yellow flowers started in May and are still going. It must be about 14ft tall gowing up a sturdy trellis attached to a wall. The plant is about 6ft or more wide. one friend said I prune it as soon as it finishes flowering, another said you only prune in spring to remove any frost damaged growth, before it flowers. So when do I prune it, and bearing in mind its size, how much do I cut off? Thanks for any help

[woofgang]

sorry to go a bit OT but when you do prune be careful, I had a beautiful fremontodendrum californicum but I found that i was allergic to the stem hairs which come off if you brush against it....did some summer dead heading and came out in a rash all over my bare arms neck and chest...very unpleasant!

[foxyferret]

sorry to hear about your ailment Woofgang. I was careful when I planted it as I already knew about the unfriendly leaves. I always wear gloves but it is such a large plant, I think I would need a full wet suit to protect every part of me!! Anyway, when and if do you prune yours?

[woofgang]

I don't....sadly i couldn't keep it...its gone, but the flowers are georgeous

[foxyferret]

What a shame. Oh well, many thanks for your info anyway.