What is this plant?

[gbay]

http://s1152.photobucket.com/albums/p500/maceybay/

Hello

What is this plant called and how do i mainatain it? DO i cut the branchy thingys a few inches from the ground?

Thanks

Greg

[Marlingardener]

It looks like last year's yarrow. If so, cut it down to the ground. You will notice green fern-like leaves starting from the base in early spring. Yarrow is a perennial.

[gbay]

Thanks Marlingardener

I don't know if it helps the diagnosis of this plant, but I live in Canada.

I am scared to cut it to the ground. That said, it does come back every year so maybe thats the way to go. If I cut it that low, will it grow back to about 2 feet high again this year?

[applestar]

You can leave a few inches if you want, but you want to remove the dead stuff before the new growth starts in spring or it'll be a nightmare to remove the dead without damaging the tender new shoots. I can't remember if yarrow is one of those that basically gets soft just below ground and you can remove entire stalks with a tug or twist and a tug. I've been doing that with a lot of my perennials during spring clean up.

Some of them HAS to be clipped with a pruner and are a pain, but I do those along with the ones that retain some green stems and need to be trimmed of frost killed upper and tip growths.

[gbay]

Wifey came home and she seems to think the plant is a Snowball White Hydrangea.
Hmmm?

[applestar]

LOL!! lack of size reference....
Yarrow would be maybe 1/3 the size and stem thickness.

In that case, do not cut down to the ground!
I'll move this thread to the Hydrangea forum if you like.

[WildcatNurseryman]

It looks like a Anna Belle Hydrangia. They bloom on new and old wood so cutting it back very hard would be fine.