Tropicals & Tender Perennials: First summer with a blossoming brug, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
Joy, you sure do know how to grow 'em! That plant is just lovely. Very pretty variegation - it might be 'Snowbank'.

I don't have to overwinter mine indoors (although I do cover them sometimes) so I'll let one of the northern brug growers advise you on that. But I'd sure want to keep that nice new shoot. If you need to cut the plant down to manage it indoors, I'd cut the older part back. Root those cuttings, too - they're SO easy to propagate. You'll have gift plants for all your friends come next Easter. Just put the cuttings in water until they put out roots, pot them up, and keep them growing slowly with cool temps and good light until it's warm outside.

My mother grew one in Vancouver, Canada (zone 7 or 8?) and she was able to keep leaves on hers all winter, in a cool room with good light. Here in Florida we do have cool winter weather but the brugs don't lose their leaves until it gets down into the 30's for several nights straight. Thankfully that doesn't happen often.

Here's my 'Cherub' grown from a cutting this spring. It's nearly 8ft. tall now and has bloomed at least 5 times. It has a nice big new shoot like yours that's about to bloom now. I want it to make a shrub form to fill up that space next year, so I'm letting it sprout and branch. If you want yours to stay in a standard (tree) form, you need to cultivate one good shoot each year, pruning off the leaves that sprout from the trunk, and new shoots from the bottom. Or start a new plant from a cutting every year or two, to keep a manageable sized plant.

Great growing! Elaine

This message was edited Oct 9, 2011 11:07 AM