With its vibrant yellow blooms reaching heights of up to three feet, Yellow Loosestrife (Goldfelberich) is a total showstopper in any garden. The best part? It’s incredibly low-maintenance, and that goes for pruning, too.
One Good Trim a Year is All It Takes
For the most part, you only need to break out the garden shears once a year. You’ve got some flexibility here: you can either cut it back in early fall once the blooming season wraps up, or wait until the following spring. This hardy plant isn’t picky and handles both options just fine.
A Classic Perennial Habit
The reason we prune Yellow Loosestrife is that it’s a classic deciduous perennial. This means the stems and leaves above ground will naturally die back as autumn rolls in. Meanwhile, the rhizomes stay safe and sound underground all winter, ready to sprout fresh growth in the spring. To give that new growth plenty of room to breathe, you’ll want to cut the old stalks down to about a hand’s width above the soil. Since this plant is tough as nails, you don’t need to worry about disinfecting your tools, though you should always make sure they’re clean.
Other Reasons to Reach for the Shears
You don’t really need to worry about “shaping” Yellow Loosestrife. However, to keep the plant looking youthful and vigorous, it’s a great idea to dig it up and divide it every three to four years. This is also the perfect solution if it’s starting to take over too much space or if you want to spread the love to other parts of your yard. And of course, feel free to snip those gorgeous yellow spikes during the summer to brighten up your indoor floral arrangements!
To recap, here’s when you’ll want to give your Yellow Loosestrife a trim:
- Clearing away old growth in the fall or early spring.
- Dividing the root ball to rejuvenate or propagate the plant.
- Snagging some beautiful cut flowers for your home.
