Plant of the week 2.22 – 2.26 ~ Escallonia
This evergreen shrub has medium water requirements and likes full sun to partial shade. Escallonia flower in the summer and need dead blooms and stalks removed after flowering is complete. Ongoing pruning with hand clippers is recommended for a neat appearance. Escallonia should be pruned with a natural intent, rarely sheared. Escallonia is our plant of the week because they are extremely plentiful in California gardens.
Many gardens have older plants which benefit from restorative pruning. This technique of hard natural pruning returns old specimens to healthy, properly scaled (these plants become very large) plants.
Sustainable landscaping focuses on placing plants where they can reach their natural size with only minimal pruning. As older landscapes are replaced and updated, Escallonias will likely be phased out in favor of shrubs which remain smaller and require less water.
