What Has Caused The Unseasonal Growing Of 2 Plants In My Garden.

Question

Northeast of England, north facing wall with very high fir hedge above. My Leycesteria still has leaves in January (one branch snapped with the weight of snow on it 2 weeks ago). It had some flowers but no berries. Bought last year from garden centre & has tripled in height since then. I thought these were deciduous? Also the Ling in front is still in flower. It has been in situ 3 years.? Any ideas?

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Answer 1

Leycesteria is hardy in your area so it won't die back. In colder regions it dies back to the ground, but may regrow in the spring. So you can enjoy this shrub year round. It blooms on new wood so you can prune it in winter if you'd like a more compact shape.

Your ling is supposed to flower for a long time, but maybe you also have had a mild winter and it is continuing to bloom. It may have been immature when you first acquired it and now it is well established. There are different varieties of heather and some flower more than once. Here is more about their growing conditions.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/honeysuckle/himalayan-honeysuckle-plants.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/heather/growing-heather.htm