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nnmjdklil

Disanthus cercidifolius pruning

nnmjdklil
9 years ago

Hi all,

I've been trying to get the first few plants together to start my fall garden and several websites have pointed me to a "vastly underused" shrub called the Redbud Hazel. The photos are beautiful, showing leaves that turn all shade of green, yellow, orange, red, burgundy and outright purple.

I bought a 'tube' from ForestFarm in the spring and took about 5 days to kill it. I didn't plant it right away though and don't think that keeping it in the tiny little cup it came in was a good idea on my part. I'm considering trying again, this time buying the slightly bigger one in a size1 pot, a plant that should be 1-2' tall upon arrival.

My question: Most every site I find w info on this plant puts it around 10'x10' (though my guess is it can still get quite a bit larger than that with enough time if conditions are good) at maturity and says it requires little to no pruning. The space I have in mind is only about 8x9'.

I am wondering then if I can plant it and just prune it to size once it gets too big, and how difficult that would be if it's a yes. From what I understand it can be quite slow-growing so I won't have to do anything for a while. I love all the pictures of this plant that I find online and kinda have my heart set on having one out in the yard to look at through autumn.

Can I have it in the spot I'd like it, fairly easily? Or would I need to find a bigger spot altogether?

Comments (14)

  • akamainegrower
    9 years ago

    An 8 x 9 foot spot will be sufficient for a good number of years. In my experience, disanthus is a moderate grower. It's also very easy to keep in check with pruning. It tends to produce long willowy shoots which benefit from pruning back anyway. Some winter protection is probably a good idea even in Z7 until it gets well established. The best fall color - again in my experience - results from lots of sun exposure. In Z7 morning sun and some afternoon shade might be more to this plant's liking than full exposure.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    most size estimates are at ten years ... presume twice as big at 20 ... things really never stop growing ...

    proper pruning never hurt anything ...

    your spot sounds perfect ...

    ken

    ps: i just dont understand.. why they would call Disanthus cercidifolius ... a redbud ... crikey.. words mean things ...

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    Common names just confuse the issue. Calling Disanthus a Redbud comes from the similar looking leaves. It's still wrong though. Like ken says, "Words mean things".
    Your spot seems pretty good for a Disanthus. I have three of them and all three are in too much shade and root competition. I should have moved them years ago before moving them got chancy. The largest after 30 years is about 12 ft. by 12 ft.
    The more exposure, the better the overall Fall color
    I do like their Fall color. A few leaves are starting now. Here's one.
    Mike

  • akamainegrower
    9 years ago

    Since the second half of the Latin binomial means "with leaves like a ceris (redbud)" and the first word indicates a member of the witchhazel, family calling disanthus cerdifolius a Redbud Hazel does make a good deal more sense than many invented common names. Creating these names is misleading, but don't underestimate the importance of a name to marketing. Many worthwhile shrubs - disanthus and corylopsis are two good examples -
    languish in obscurity because the botanical names intimidate many gardeners and, truth be told, nurseries. Thus they are not stocked or sold to the degree they should be.

  • nnmjdklil
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the input! And Mike, if I wasn't set on this shrub before, your picture seals the deal. How beautiful. And it does seem my spot is near ideal, morning sun with some afternoon, right-ish size, etc.

    A few more things though now...

    - Can someone send me a link to "proper pruning" to this shrub? Hubbie sheared all sides of some shrub that the previous owners planted on the side of our house and I know he did it wrong (a 'haircut', all around) but I'm not sure what 'right' is, especially for different specific shrubs. I've read some say prune out old wood, some say just crossing branches, some say you can take down half of them, etc..

    - what is meant by "some winter protection"? Like going out there and putting something around it when it gets really cold/snowy, or planting the pot in the soil and then bringing it into the garage or un-heated sunroom if it gets bitterly cold like last year? I could do either of these things if I needed to, I just don't know exactly what is meant.

    - actually, Ken you've told me that before about the 'twice as big in 10 years' and it has stuck with me, so thank you. I will no longer be fooled by the tags at the stores! : )

    - aka, how interesting! The translation of both halves does indeed make the whole thing much more appropriate, doesn't it? Thank you for that bit of info. It does seem quite odd that this plant isn't more popular, it's so beautiful and according to what I've been able to find out, the leaves color out in fall for quite some time. I had a burning bush planted too last year but dug it up bc I worried it would become invasive after reading about birds carrying the berries everywhere. And I didn't get too heartbroken bc the color is so short-lived anyway.

    I'll have to post some pictures here when I get the little guy in...

  • akamainegrower
    9 years ago

    Easiest sort of winter protection, which may be totally unnecessary in Z7 but is good insurance, is a burlap screen around but not actually touching the plant. A tepee type structure is easy to put up as support for the burlap. This protects from winter sun and wind and guards against sharp and sudden fluctuations in temperature. A good layer of mulch will keep the ground from freezing deeply.

    As for pruning, there may be a link for disanthus, but you're not likely to want do any pruning until the shrub grows for a year or two. Then it's pretty simple. Prune back crossing or overly long branches to a node from which new growth will arise. Pruning and shearing are two entirey different things. You don't want to turn this into the proverbial "green meatball".

    BTW, no idea where you are or if it's too late, but I'm pretty sure Rarefind Nursery in NJ stocks the plant, Googling would probably reveal other sources. ForestFarm has an excellent reputation, but you might be able to get a bigger plant nearby instead of paying high shipping charges from OR.

  • nnmjdklil
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks AKA, I will have the teepee thing in the back of my mind if it comes to that. Which I hope it doesn't!

    I haven't ordered the plant yet-- next week my mom and I are planning on going to a couple of nurseries about 45 min away and I hope maybe they will have some of the things I want, and not at ridiculous prices. Rarefind is about 2.5 hours from me and the only size they carry is twice as expensive as Forest Farm's little one so if I don't find it around here I will bite the bullet and order it. I'm about 30 minutes north of Baltimore, btw.

    I honestly don't expect the have to do any pruning for quite a few years, maybe somewhere between 5-10? I want it to get big, just not to overgrow my space. I suppose I may be surprised by how quickly that happens though...

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    I'm in Zone 8 so protection is not part of the deal for me.
    As I said, my Disanthus' are all planted in the wrong place.
    I'm going to try and move them this Fall after the leaves fall or in the Spring.
    Here's one in deep shade I raised from seed. It's a least 25 years old and never been pruned. Picture taken yesterday.
    Mike

  • Embothrium
    9 years ago

    Witch Hazel Family items like this need to be pruned carefully as they are easily spoiled by heading cuts. If you don't have the room for one whacking it all back suddenly after years of growth and development is not likely to solve the problem.

  • nnmjdklil
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Wow that's gorgeous Mike, even all green. It looks very happy there, even if not in the right place.

    So bboy, I did a search on 'heading cuts' and that sounds more like the haircut my husband gave our deutzia, and *not* what I was planning on doing. But I'm confused about your post-- are you saying that I should start pruning it earlier than I had planned and thin things out, going a little every year OR are you saying I shouldn't plant in the spot I wanted if I will have to prune for size at all?

    I could start in a few years, mostly with thinning but a little here and there on the tips. I'm not sure I could forego cutting the tips EVER, as thinning doesn't seem like it would make the shrub smaller size-wise, just airier. But I absolutely do not plan to ever give it an all around haircut...

    I'm assuming that as long as I never cut a whole bunch of the tips off in the same year, it should be healthy?

  • nnmjdklil
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Ok I bought my Redbud Hazel finally and it arrived today, looking great at about 2' tall. The spot I have in mind for it is in (I guess) full sun... Meaning it's got hot afternoon sun BUT not until right about now, 3pm. All morning and early afternoon, it's shaded by the house. At least now, in spring. I wonder if that will change with the seasons.... wish I'd paid more attention to that last year.

    Anyway, does anyone know if that'll be too much sun? I don't want to burn the little guy.

  • nnmjdklil
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Beautiful, thanks!

  • catkinZ8a
    8 years ago

    You're welcome, nn!