Sackflower, Ceanothus – plant, cutting, wintering and species

Sacflowers are medium-high shrubs that are originally native to North America and with their paniculate inflorescences are strongly reminiscent of the lilac. That is why they are often referred to as American lilac, which is botanically incorrect, however. Most sac flowers do not open their bright blue or dark purple flowers until relatively late in the year, and many bloom into early autumn. They keep their foliage even in winter (depending on the species and prevailing climatic conditions). In local conditions, most of the species – including the evergreen – are only summer green.

The sacred flowers occur over 50 different species with heights of a few centimeters up to an average of about three meters. Only the two Californian species get significantly higher. The best known two types are:

• American sacrum (Ceanothus americanus): up to 3 meters, flowering August to October, evergreen in protected areas
• Californian lilac (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus): up to 12 meters, flowers blue or white in spring, evergreen in protected areas

Most of the varieties available from specialist retailers are those that are the result of crosses between the American sackflower and other species. The best-known hybrid is the French hybrid sackflower. It grows to a height of 1.5 meters and its flowers are purple or powder white from July to October. Other deciduous species are:

• Glory of Versailles: hellblau
• Marie Simon: Pink
• Henry Defosse: deep blue

Evergreen species

• Victory: tiefblau
• Indigo: deep blue
• Burkwoodii: strong blue
• Blue Mound: purple to blue

As a rule, the following applies:

• Evergreen species bloom in spring.
• Deciduous species bloom in summer and autumn.

location

The plants generally make very few demands on their location and are otherwise very easy to care for. However, two things should be observed so that the gardener can enjoy the wonderfully fragrant shrubs: Sacred flowers should be in sheltered places in the garden and need a lot of light. If they are too dark, the flowers are usually only sparse. The flowering plants are particularly effective at seats, next to the terrace or as a container plant.

• Light requirement: sunny to partially shaded (no midday sun)
• Soil: poor in nutrients, well permeable to water
• pH value: neutral (some species also slightly acidic or calcareous)
• sheltered from the wind
• warm

The sackflower also does well as a low hedge plant. It is best not to stand it free and unprotected in the garden, but on a wall or wall. This protects against cold winds and also stores the heat so that it offers the plant optimal protection.

plant

The best time to plant a sackling is from October to April on a frost-free day. Apart from good water permeability, the sackflower does not make great demands on the soil, so that it can be planted in normal garden soil. In heavy soils, drainage should protect against waterlogging, and sand can also be mixed under the ground.

• Planting hole: twice as wide and deep as the root ball.
• Loosen the excavated earth well.
• Mix garden peat or ripe compost into the soil.
• Additional sand for heavy soils.
• Plant and soil lightly.
• Pour lightly when it is dry.
• The plant also tolerates very stony or sandy soil.

Basically, the sacrum should not be planted deeper than the upper limit of its roots.

maintenance

The only care the sackling flower needs for its growth and abundant flowering is regular pruning.

Fertilizing and watering

Sacflowers don’t need a lot of moisture. It is only poured in the bucket when the soil surface in the root area has dried out properly. Rainwater is usually sufficient in the garden. Here the undemanding plant only needs some water in periods of heat and drought and in the first two years when its roots have not yet developed so well. While Ceanothus survive longer dry periods without damage, the shrubs do not tolerate damp locations or waterlogging. Since fertilization usually only creates more foliage and the flowers decline in the process, additional nutrients are completely dispensed with. This is not necessary at all, because sacred flowers form a symbiosis with nitrogen-binding bacteria in the root area: They practically have their own fertilizer producers.

To cut

So that the sacrum always grows nice and compact and bushy, its shoots are shortened to about a third between November and March. If this cut is not made, only a few flowers will appear on the old shoots. In addition, the flowering time can be significantly extended by carefully thinning out faded buds. Overall, the shrub grows to a height of 1.5 meters and a similar width within a few years. A sack flower always forms its flowers on the annual shoots that have newly formed on the shrub in the spring before flowering. Therefore, no pruning should be made during the growing season if profuse flowering is desired. However, if the shoots are dry or grow inward, they can be cut back at any time.

• Time: November to March
• Younger Ceanothus: Shorten about 2/3 of the shoot length.
• Older Ceanothus: Shorten about half the length of the shoot.

Rejuvenation pruning for older plants
If the sacrum has been in the garden or in a tub for a few years, it can become very compact and bushy. Since the inside of the shrub then sometimes suffers from a lack of light and becomes bald, a tapering cut can help. In addition, the shrub does not become too big and excessive lignification is prevented.

Tapering cuts are always made in three consecutive years, in each of which around a third of the shoots are cut out.

• Take a good look at the plant before cutting.
• Don’t just cut the outer or top branches!
• Distribute pruning evenly over the entire shrub.
• Shorten selected branches to about 40 centimeters above the ground.
• Always make the cut over an outward-facing eye.
• In the following year, a second third of the shoots are shortened in the same way.
• Only cut branches that were not trimmed in the previous year.
• They can be recognized by their lignification (young shoots are not yet lignified).
• Cut the remaining third in the third year.

Multiply

The sacrum can easily be propagated from cuttings or seeds. Since most garden plants are hybrids, their seeds can often have completely different properties than the mother plant. The offspring can then differ in color (leaves like flowers) or have a different winter hardiness. If you want to be surprised, you can sow the seeds (in the room) in potting soil in spring. However, not all seeds are always really capable of germination.

Therefore, propagation by cuttings has generally prevailed. If new shoots have formed on the sacrum in early summer, some of them can be cut off for propagation. The top tip of a shoot (head cutting) is used as cuttings. Shoots that have leaf buds but no leaves are ideal. The cutting should have at least three – better five – leaves or leaf buds. Only healthy and well-developed plants and their shoots should be selected for cultivation from cuttings.

• Cut off the tip of the shoot under the third to fifth leaf base.
• Carefully remove the bottom one or two leaves.
• Do not leave more than two or three leaves to stand (otherwise too much water will evaporate).
• Carefully scrape off the bark in the lower area with a knife.
• Place in moist substrate up to the second leaf base.
• Suitable substrates are: potting soil or cactus soil.
• Put in a warm place (20-22 degrees).
• No direct sunlight!
• High humidity (over 60%).
• If necessary, put a clear plastic bag over it (with a few holes).
• The plastic bag may need to be supported with sticks.
• Contact with the cutting must be avoided at all costs!
• After a few weeks (sometimes months) new leaves will form.
• Remove the plastic bag.
• Keep the soil slightly moist, never too wet.
• Put outdoors next spring.

Requirements for the substrate
The substrate is of decisive importance for both the cultivation from seeds and cuttings. It should have the following properties:

• good permeability for water
• as low in nutrients as possible
• without weed seeds, fungal spores or pathogens
• good storage capacity for water

Wintering outdoors

Most species of the sacrum are conditionally frost-resistant. There is little to fear up to minus eight degrees. No special precautions need to be taken in really warm locations. Since the temperatures in some winters can also drop significantly lower in large parts of domestic regions, additional protection is appropriate:

• Apply a thick layer of leaves to the ground (20-30 centimeters).
• Alternatively, use straw or coniferous branches (spruce, fir).

As a rule, the following applies:

• Evergreen species can withstand temperatures down to minus eight degrees.
• Deciduous species are hardy to minus 15 degrees.

Victoria is considered to be particularly hardy among the various species. But protection is also recommended for this variety. The winter protection in the form of brushwood, leaves or straw must of course be removed again in spring. This must not be done too early so that the plants are not damaged by late frosts.

Winter in the bucket

Plants that are planted in a pot should overwinter in a cold house. That means:

• Temperature: about 5-10 degrees
• Set up very brightly if it is an evergreen species.
• Foliage-shedding (deciduous) varieties can also be darker.
• Water moderately (soil should always be very dry).
• In the spring slowly get used to the field again.
• Put outdoors on frost-free days from May.
• Set up in the shade to get used to.
• After the ice saints (mid-May) then sunny to partially shaded.

If there is no cut in autumn, the shoots freeze back severely when it is frosty. Then a pruning is necessary towards the end of February at the latest so that the sacrum can sprout vigorously. In very harsh winters it can happen that the plant first sprouts very slowly and starts poorly in spring. However, this is no reason to despair, because the bushes usually recover well by next year at the latest and then appear in their usual splendor.

Diseases and pests

The sacrum is not only considered to be very easy to handle in terms of its care, it is also a very robust plant with regard to diseases. As long as it is in a suitable location, it is almost never sick or attacked by pests. If the flowering is sparse, this may be due to a location that is too dark or the failure to cut back in spring.

Conclusion
The sack flower with its lush purple or bluish flowers is a plant that can even bring real joy to gardening beginners. Apart from a sunny location, well-drained soil and heavy pruning in winter, it needs next to nothing. The sacrum survives even longer drying times completely unscathed. However, she doesn’t like waterlogging and a dark location at all.