Julia Phelps ceanothus is a densely branched evergreen shrub that grows to be 7-9 feet tall and 10-12 feet broad. Tiny dark green leaves are highly wrinkled and grow to be 1/2 inch long. Julia Phelps ceanothus is big shrub-type ceanothus cultivar that grows well in drought-tolerant settings.
Ceanothus Julia Phelps plant is ideal for background, screen, and slope planting because of its huge size, thin leaf, and rigid branching habit. When cultivated in home gardens, this variety requires sun, well-drained soils, and attentive summer watering.
Ceanothus Julia Phelps is a medium-sized, evergreen shrub with a rounded growth habit. The finely notched, deep green leaves are tiny, oblong to ovate. This shrub blooms into dense, spherical clusters of flowers in May and June. The flowers are deep violet. Julia Phelps is drought tolerant shrub – in fact, it prefers to be kept dry in the summer – and requires a warm, shaded, frost-free location.
Ceanothus Julia Phelps Size
Julia Phelps belongs to the family of Rhamnaceae. The height of this plant comes under 5 to 8 feet and the width is 6 to 9 feet. Julia Phelps grows to a height of six feet near the coast and eight feet inland, with dark blue-purple flowers that are highly attractive. The leaves are tiny and crinkly, with dark green foliage. As the flowers appear in the spring, the entire shrub turns purple.
Ceanothus Julia Phelps Growth Rate
The lilac hybrid ‘Julia Phelps’ is regarded as the most beautiful shrub. It has tiny crinkly dark green leaves and numerous dark blue flowers. Julia Phelps stands between 6 and 8 feet tall and is around the same width. Ceanothus Julia Phelps is planted in direct sunlight. Once grown, it requires good drainage and protection from summer drought. In hot, humid interior regions, it does not grow. It can survive rainfall but is unable to thrive in extended winter drought.
Ceanothus Julia Phelps Pruning
Pruning of this deciduous flowering shrub is required for two reasons:
1. Increase the airflow by eliminating old, damaged, or dead wood.
2. Increasing floral production by rejuvenating new growth.
The pruning of Julia Phelps is divided into four types:
- Minimal Amount of Pruning: In this category only dead, diseased, damaged, or crossed branches are taken out.
- Pruning in Spring: In this category, new growth is encouraged and flowers appear.
- Pruning in Summer after Flowering: After flowers are developed the shoots are cut down and old branches are removed down to the ground.
- Suckering Habit Pruning: In this category, flowers bloom on the previous year’s wood.
Ceanothus Julia Phelps Care
The majority of Julia Phelps species require full sun, while little afternoon shade is useful in hotter locations. When established in the garden, those plants that tolerate summer irrigation can be easily satisfied with one or two deep waterings per month. Following the second year after planting, no extra summer water should be applied in more naturalized regions or transition zones.
Julia Phelps needs 6 hours (or more) of continuous, direct sunlight every day. It is important to plant the shrub in the region where there is full sunlight. Spring and fall are the best periods to grow the Julia Phelps shrub since the soil is workable and there is little threat of frost.
Fertilizers strong in nitrogen, or N, will encourage the growth of green, leafy foliage. Fertilizing late in the growing season is avoided for best results. The fertilizers high in nitrogen are beneficial for inducing plants to produce flower buds.
Pruning of the shrub is important to increase the growth of the branches. It is done through pinching, thinning, shearing, and rejuvenating. Pinching is the practice of removing the tips of a young plant’s stems to encourage branching. This prevents the need for more severe pruning in the future.
Thinning means eliminating entire branches and returning them to the trunk. Shearing is the process of using hand or electric shears to level the surface of a shrub. This is done to keep a hedge or topiary in the desired shape.
The removal of old branches or the overall lowering of the size of a shrub to restore its original form and size is referred to as rejuvenation. Hence, all these steps of pruning are followed by the gardeners to enhance the branches of the Julia Phelps.
This drought-resistant evergreen shrub should be carefully managed and all the necessary watering, soil, and pruning requirements should be taken under consideration while planting.
