Spacing & sowing

Plant spacing

9 ft 10 in

In-row spacing

9 ft 10 in

Between rows

12 ft 4 in

Square-foot density

Not suited to SFG

Growing

Type

Shrub · Perennial

Botanical family

Mixed / other

Sunlight

Full sun through to full shade; a sheltered north- or east-facing wall suits it best.

Watering

Drought tolerant once established; water regularly through the first year.

Feeding

One dose of general-purpose fertilizer in spring.

Frost tolerant

Yes

Flowering

January

Pruning

Trim lightly to shape once the catkins fade in spring, and no more than that.

Overwintering

Fully hardy to -15°C; no winter protection needed.

Through the year

• Jan–Mar Flowering
• Mar–Apr Bud Break
• Apr–Jun Spring Growth
• Jun–Dec Growing
• Jan–Jan Growing

Pests & problems

• Scale insects Immobile brown or white bumps fixed to stems and leaf undersides, sucking sap and weakening growth. Wipe off with a damp cloth or dab with horticultural soap; watch for the sooty mold that follows.
• Leaf spot Brown or black spots that spread and merge in wet weather, sometimes with yellow halos. Pick off affected leaves, clear fallen ones, and water at the base.

Garden allies

Beneficial predators that hunt this plant's pests — grow their favourite flowers nearby to recruit them. ★ companion plant

• Hoverfly Syrphidae
  Hunts Scale insects

  Bee-mimicking flies whose legless larvae graze aphid colonies clean while the adults pollinate. A ribbon of shallow, nectar-rich flowers kept in bloom all season recruits wave after wave of them.

  Plant nearby CalendulaChamomileFennelFrench marigoldPhaceliaSweet alyssum
• Ladybird (lady beetle) Coccinellidae
  Hunts Scale insects

  The gardener’s favorite ally: adults and their alligator-shaped larvae each eat thousands of aphids, plus scale, mealybugs, and other soft-bodied sap-suckers. Grow flat, open flowers for the adults and never spray a colony that ladybird larvae are already working.

  Plant nearby CalendulaCilantroCosmosDillFennelYarrow