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Pruning Mountain Laurel

16 years ago

We have a large Mountain Laurel. This winter with our 24 inches of snow, it was flatted, laying completely on the ground. It's come back and is healthy and green, but it's leaning a lot and is really too large for the front of your house. I hate to cut it down because it's a beautiful plant. How much and when can I cut it back without killing it? It's probably over 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. I'd like it to be half that size.

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Comments (3)

barb7901
Original Author
16 years ago
I think they may actually be Skip Laurels.
flora_uk
16 years ago
If it is Skip aka Prunus laurocerasus, you can cut it right back to a stump. If it's a Mountain laurel (no relation), aka Kalmia latifolia, I have no experience of them. Thay are hard to grow well in the UK. You need to verify the id before people can advise.
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newbiehavinfun
16 years ago
Mountain laurel is a woody shrub, with a growth pattern similar to rhododendron, so I don't think that's what you have. I'm trying to imagine a mountain laurel being flattened by snow and then growing back, and I don't think that would be possible.

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