Pruning Mullein 'Southern Charm'
When and how — Verbascum 'Southern Charm'
Prune your mullein 'Southern Charm' in August and September — the optimal month is usually September.
The next pruning window is August.
When to prune?
The perennial mullein 'Southern Charm' is pruned in August and September.
With perennials, pruning is really seasonal management.
You don't prune perennials the way you prune shrubs. The work happens at three moments: (1) deadheading spent flower stems during the season to encourage repeat bloom, (2) optionally cutting back to about 10–15 cm above ground in late autumn, and (3) clearing all the old foliage in March before the new shoots emerge. Many gardeners now deliberately leave the old growth standing through winter — it protects the crown and shelters overwintering insects. Which approach to choose depends on taste and species: evergreen perennials (hellebore, bergenia) look better left alone, while wet-rotting species (hosta) need to come down after the first frost.
How to prune mullein 'Southern Charm'
Verbascum 'Southern Charm' flowers from late spring through summer, producing tall spikes in shades of pink, orange, and yellow. Pruning is straightforward and focuses mainly on deadheading to prolong flowering and tidying the plant after blooming finishes. Throughout the flowering season, remove individual spent flower spikes by cutting them back to a side shoot or to the base of the stem. This encourages the plant to produce secondary spikes and extends the display well into summer. Use secateurs or simply snap off faded stems by hand if they come away cleanly. The main pruning period is August and September, once flowering has finished. Cut back all the old flower stems to the basal rosette of leaves at ground level. This keeps the plant tidy, prevents it from self-seeding too enthusiastically (though some gardeners welcome a few seedlings), and directs energy back into the crown for next year's growth. Leave the basal foliage intact over winter; these low-growing leaves are evergreen or semi-evergreen and help protect the crown from frost. In early spring, before new growth begins, check the rosette and remove any tatty, damaged, or rotting leaves. This is a light tidy rather than a true prune. Verbascums are short-lived perennials, often lasting three to five years, so don't be surprised if older plants decline. However, they self-seed readily if you leave a few spikes uncut, and the resulting seedlings—though variable in colour—often provide free replacements.
Common mistakes
✗ Cutting back too early in spring
Late frost can still strike and the old foliage protects the crown. Wait until the first new shoots are visible (usually mid-March) — then you know the season has actually started.
✗ Skipping deadheading
Hardy geranium, salvia, lupin and delphinium will give a second flush if you cut spent stems back to just above a pair of healthy leaves as soon as the first flowers fade.
✗ Cutting ornamental grasses down in autumn
The dry stems are the whole point of winter interest, AND they protect the crown from frost and waterlogging. Cut down to a fist's height only in late February.
Hold off on pruning
Better to wait than prune at the wrong moment. The next optimal window is August. Until then: leave the plant alone — only remove dead or diseased wood (which you can do year-round).
