When to prune lipstick plant 'mona lisa' in the UK

Prune lipstick plant 'mona lisa' in early to mid spring. For shrubs that flower on the current season's growth, the RHS times pruning to early or mid spring — after severe weather has passed and once the growth buds begin to swell. In Britain that is usually March into April rather than the February common in warmer regions; prune too early and the new shoots meet a late frost.

There is no nesting-bird restriction that realistically applies to lipstick plant 'mona lisa', since birds do not nest in it. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 still protects any active nest you do find anywhere in the garden — the rule is about the nest, not the plant.

Using clean scissors or pruning shears, cut trailing stems back by up to half their length, cutting just above a leaf node. Remove any dead or brown stems completely. Avoid cutting into bare woody stems with no leaves.

Annually after flowering, plus tidy dead growth as needed. Lipstick Plant 'Mona Lisa' benefits from pruning after flowering. Trim long, trailing stems back by one-third to one-half to encourage bushier new growth and more flower buds, which form on new stems. Without occasional cutting back, plants become leggy with blooms only at stem tips. Remove any dead or shrivelled stems at any time.

Most pruning guides online are written for US conditions and anchored to USDA zones. Britain's maritime climate gives milder winters but later, less predictable last frosts — from March in the south-west to mid-May in the north — so the RHS advises against winter pruning for most plants: it pushes out soft growth that a late frost then kills. Britain also has the nesting-bird law, which has no US equivalent.