Sea Holly Pruning or not question.

dandelionclock30

Hi does anyone know if a sea Holly bush needs cutting down for winter? Last year I cut one right down and it died! I want to do the right thing this year so can anyone advise?

DaftyDuck

I've dead headed each of mine about now (gosh mine stinks vile, like stale cat poo) but never succeeded in remotely killing one. They seem to spread by seed, by self-division, by magic.

Cutting back now, not later, should allow regrowth before the first frosts cause it to die back naturally. Last year's wet winter won't have helped survival; it have had nothing to do with your cutting it back.

Wish it didn't stink, though!

madjackslam

Are you talking about an Eryngium of some kind, eg, Eryngium variifolium? If so, the flowers/seedheads are attractive, and I tend to leave them on well into the winter. They look lovely when touched with frost. I lost one last winter doing this, so it's probably coincidental, and more likely that they're not keen on my damp, clay soil, and the winter wet.

Davesnave

madjackslam wrote: »

Are you talking about an Eryngium of some kind.....

That's what I understand by 'sea holly,' but some of these guys didn't do "amo, amas, amat " etc (lucky them! :rotfl:)

Eryngiums are a varied group, both annual and perennial. In nature, no one comes along and dead-heads or prunes them. Wet clay soils aren't enjoyed, so they might not choose many British gardens for themselves.

I'm with Jack. Leave it for the birds and attend to it next March/April.