Pruning ‘John Tomlinson’ euphoria

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Q: My ‘John Tomlinson’ euphoria took a winter hit. How far do I trim it down? Some of it is blooming now. It’s almost 8 years old. When does this plant need re-planting?

Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii ‘John Tomlinson’ is an evergreen, sub shrub where stems are biennial.

Pruning should be done after flowering by midsummer prune to a strong bud near the base removing old flowering stems. This type of selective pruning should invigorate your Euphorbia. Dead leaves and stems could be removed. If all the stems are removed, there will be no flowers for this season but instead flower next spring on this year’s growth.

Being a cultivar of Euphorbia, seeds do not come true to name but softwood cuttings are a better alternative.

Plants should send out new shoots from the base.