Solanums are well known to gardeners for their generous cascades of blue‑violet flowers with bold yellow stamens throughout summer. These climbing plants are vigorous and require regular pruning to flower abundantly all summer long.

Follow our advice to prune and enjoy your solanums, whether climbing, bushy or stem‑trained

solanum pruning

Climbing and bushy solanums shown above and below are vigorous and need pruning

Necessary equipment

To prune solanum, equip yourself with the items below :

When and how to prune climbing solanum?

The Solanum jasminoides climbing form is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11 and is a vigorous plant reaching over eight metres in height, slightly less when grown in a pot. Solanum can quickly become invasive and needs support followed by annual pruning to balance or reduce its branching.

1- Prune in spring before flowering to encourage vigorous growth, then in summer if several prunings are necessary;

2- Cut back shoots hard to three to four buds (about 30 cm from soil), remove old shoots and broken stems; it will reflower even better;

3- Remove dead wood, broken or fragile branches;

4- Trim the liana throughout the season to control its development and improve branching;

5- Never prune in autumn, as this would weaken your solanum before winter.

Best climbing Solanums

  • The Solanum crispum "Glasnevin" is well suited as a climber to dress pergolas, especially in southern France.
  • Solanum jasminoides 'Album' is a climbing liana with semi‑evergreen foliage, developing on long, flexible shoots easy to train. From July until autumn it produces graceful clusters of star‑shaped white flowers scented like jasmine.
  • Solanum jasminoïdes is a classic of Mediterranean gardens, hardy in zone 8 and resistant to summer drought. It grows in ordinary, well‑drained soil that is kept loose. Solanum is a climber without tendrils or climbing roots that requires a support to climb. Once trained, the voluble shoots of Solanum can stretch upwards. It is ideal for quickly dressing walls, pergolas and all kinds of trellises or wire‑mesh fences. This liana can become invasive if growing conditions are favourable.
climbing solanum

From left to right Solanum album; Solanum jasminoides; Solanum 'Glasnevin'

When and how to prune bushy solanum?

The Solanum rantonnetii is a bush native to South America perfect for flowering a sunny terrace or courtyard. In late summer for many weeks, it is covered with mauve or blue flowers somewhat similar to gentian, which has earned it the nickname gentian tree.

Solanum rantonnetii tolerates regular pruning

To succeed with maintenance pruning of your solanum, follow these five steps:

1- Prune in March;

2- Remove dead wood, branches broken or burned by frost;

3- Preferably remove shoots growing towards the centre or that cross, to keep the bush's structure intact;

4- Always use a clean pruning shear and cut just above an eye;

5- Thin out the centre of the bush to encourage better air circulation.

How to train a solanum on a stem?

To train a solanum on a stem, it is preferable to choose the bushy Solanum rantonetii, which forms a shrub with often trailing shoots and a less vigorous habit. It will not exceed 2 m in height and will offer a very ramified silhouette at maturity.

To succeed in training your solanum on a stem, follow these seven steps:

1- Prune your bushy solanum so only one shoot remains from the collar, choosing the sturdiest to carry the entire crown;

2- Stake your shoot by tying it to a bamboo stake with ties that are not too tight;

3- Remove lateral shoots over the entire lower third of the bush as well as suckers emerging from below the collar. Use a clean pruning shear. Take care not to damage the bark;

4- Remove suckers that appear on the lower part of the trunk;

5- Prune crown volume to gradually form a head. Cut each shoot by one third. Carry out this pruning during dormancy, generally in December and January;

6- Always use a clean pruning shear and cut just above an eye;

7- Cut each shoot to the same length above a bud that points outwards to keep a nice regular shape for your plant.

This crown must be maintained by regular prunings to prevent it becoming too heavy for the still slender trunk. Each spring, perform a simple tidy of the crown while structuring the branching to avoid tangling and forming an inextricable mess. For a smooth spherical shape, cut branches to equal lengths until a regular form is achieved. Once finished, your stem‑trained solanum can be placed in a sunny spot in a pot on a terrace or in the garden.

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