The Comeback Kid

Chaste Trees have a reputation of growing rapidly but have a relatively short lifespan. I planted mine nearly 16 years ago. In no time it grew as high as my two-story house. The birds love it! We have a feeder tucked beneath the tree where they can dart in and out. The thought of pruning their playground was daunting because it puts on such a show when it's in bloom. But there comes a time when you know major pruning is in order. Plus, we needed to redo the siding on that section of the house and the work could not be done with branches in the way.

I put my head together with my 'yard guy' and decided Chaste Trees can tolerate severe pruning. Not all plants are that forgiving. Some need to have no more than 1/3 of the growth pruned at a time; other plants will grow back even after cut to the ground.

It helps to know your plants:

"Most broadleaf shrubs (such as azaleas, camellias, ligustrum, abelia, nandina, cleyera and crape myrtle) respond well to renewal pruning. Boxwoods, however, recover slowly and may even die when severely pruned. Junipers, pines, cypress, cedar, arborvitae and other narrow-leaf evergreens do not respond well when pruned severely and may die when over half of their foliage is removed. Transplanting instead of pruning narrow-leaf evergreens when they overgrow a site is a possibility." ( http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=B961)

We removed 80% of the growth on my Chaste Tree in late winter and held our breath. Chaste Trees are slow to come to life in the Spring, so I kept waiting for signs of life. And then it kicked it.

I've been forgiven!