Fixing an overgrown Escallonia

[Herb]

Our Pink Escallonia got really badly overgrown & had begun to block two paths. I worried that cutting it back severely might kill it but I reckoned it was worth trying. See the left hand picture.

When I did that I discovered that there wasn't just one Escallonia - there were two - one branch had layered itself and was growing on its own roots - that's the remaining green growth that you can see in the first picture. After taking the picture, I dug the layered part out & potted it.

Now it's clear that Escallonias easily survive being cut back & I needn't have worried about the main plant. It's doing well and is now already about half the size it used to be - see the right hand picture.

The layered offspring that I potted is soon going to be planted on the rear lot line (to replace a Portuguese Laurel that has outgrown it's place even more).

Herb

[KellieD]

I cut a 15' escallonia hedge back to 3' last year and it is already 10' again!

[whis4ey]

I have two escallonia doing exactly the same thing to me
Unfortunately Wonderwoman won't allow me to cut it back completely so it is a question of judicious pruning every year
I love the clean lines of your garden Herb. And that path is quite superb

[KellieD]

Tell Wonderwoman that the neighbor's nephew misunderstood how far she wanted a 40 year old hedge cut back and took it to ground level. That darned thing is pushing up all kinds of new growth!!!!

[patsue53]

Very pretty garden! Looks like the plant surely did survive!

[Herb]

This thread has made me want to draw attention to another Escallonia, the one called Newport Dwarf. I'm putting a picture of it with comments in the Japanese Gardens section.

Herb