Marianne's Response
Pruning St. John’s Wort and Burning Bush
I’m posting one picture with two questions. I have a “compact”Burning Bush that is trying to outgrow its space. When is the best time and how? Should I just round it off? I live in Port Townsend on 5 acres with about an acre that is cleared for our home with the fir and cedar trees growing taller every year and decreasing direct sunlight. Also, I have a row of St. John’s Wort that are getting long and leggy and the legginess is making them flop.
Posted by Debbie Nighswonger on February 19, 2022
Marianne's Response
The burning bush shrub is going to keep growing - huge. I suggest you move it now while it is still small as no amount of pruning will keep it compact. Despite the name "compact" this type of shrub (Euonymus alatus 'compacta') wants to be 8 feet tall by 8 feet wide. If you do prune try to remove no more than one third at a time then watch out - pruning stimulates it to grow faster! As you can tell, I have made this mistake.
Now for the St. John's Wart (Hypericum) this shrubby groundcover can be made tidy by using shears or even a string trimmer to cut it back to six inches from the ground. The new growth will be more branching and less height and you will cut off all the brown winter damaged foliage. The scalped look of this plant after pruning will soon be covered by fresh new growth. This is one shrub you can cut back severely every spring.
Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
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