Can I prune fynbos plants?
A. Most fynbos plants will benefit from pruning, since it can mimic the natural process that may be absent in a garden situation. This has the effect of stimulating bud production for more foliage (bushier growth) and more flowers. Species which resprout from roots can be cut back hard but care should be taken with the more woody species not to cut back below the lowest leaves, as the plant may not be able to bud again from this wood. Many popular indigenous garden plants from the summer rainfall parts of the country should definitely be pruned at least once a year, and can be cut back very hard if needed, because they are able to bud from quite old wood. The many types of Plectranthus are good example.
