Can I Regrow An Ocotillo If I Cut It To The Ground?

Question

I recently purchased a home with an Ocotillo and unfortunately someone has topped it to be about 5 ft. I is mostly green and looks fairly healthy. What I have read is that you should never top them and if pruned they should be cut at the base. My question is, if I was to cut the entire plant to the ground would it produce more sticks and on an average how much do they grow each year? It really looks pretty healthy. I don’t know if I should just tear it out and start over with a new one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I would be hesitant to cut all of it to the ground. You should however cut out broken or dead canes at ground level. You could try a slow rejuvenation by cutting out two or three canes and see if they regrow. If they do, the next year cut out a couple more and so on till they have all been replaced.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/shgen/rejuvenation-pruning-tips.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/ocotillo/ocotillo-plant.htm
https://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/0403/care.html