Shrubs - Kerria (Yellow Rose of Texas)
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  (February) A neighbor has offered cuttings of his Yellow Rose of Texas, but I'm not sure how to properly root cuttings.

  Kerria japonica, or Yellow Rose of Texas, is a tough plant. You can root cuttings, but if your neighbor has a plant, she also probably has suckers sprouting from around the base of the plant. They usually start to spread out in time. These can be dug and replanted now, and should kick in and grow soon. If it is cuttings, just put them in a container with potting soil, and place the pot and all inside a plastic bag. Seal it up and wait a few weeks, and you should have some rooted plants to put out this spring.

  (February) I have a question for you about my Japanese Rose. The shrub I have has the long, green arching branches with the yellow pom poms on them two or three times a year. I think my variety is Kerria japonica "Flora Pleno". I absolutely love it and have one rooting in my kitchen window for transplanting. What time would be best to plant the one in my window which has a really good root system because it's been in water for at least 3 months. How soon can I trim the large shrubs I have now? If I trim before spring, will I still have blooms this spring? We've lived at this location since 1994 and have only trimmed them once. I'm sure they need it, but I don't want to take away from the arched look they have.

  The plant you have is Kerria, commonly called Yellow Rose of Texas. The doubled flowered form you have can actually bloom several times in a season, but tends to have a good display in the spring, and then staggered throughout the summer. It is a cane producing plant, so thin out some of the older canes down low after the spring bloom. This should reduce the size, but still leave the nice arching growth habit. You will have to treat your rooted cutting as a houseplant for the winter, since it has no hardiness now, having been in a heated house this long. Plant it where you want it this spring. You can put it in a pot with potting soil now, if you want.

  When should I prune my Yellow Rose of Texas. It has gotten so big-much bigger than I expected. Last year, it bloomed about the time Forsythias bloomed and the blooms lasted a month or six weeks. It was delightful. I don't want to miss that show, but the bush is really getting out of hand.

  Yellow rose of Texas, or Kerria japonica should be pruned after bloom in the spring. Flower buds are set now. They can bloom off and on throughout the season, but the biggest show is in the spring. As they are cane plants, prune out the older ones, or simply do some thinning. They tend to colonize, so you may want to share some with friends.

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