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When and how should I prune…
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A | B | C | D | E | F | H | I | L | M | P | Q | R | S | WAbelia When: Spring, following last frost; or summer, after flowering. How: Cut some of the old wood back to low, vigorous shoots; hard prune to about one foot for renovation pruning.
Aloysia see Lemon Verbena
Amelanchier see Serviceberry
American holly (Ilex opaca) When: Late summer or December. How: Prune mainly to encourage single main stem; hard prune only over two to three year period. (Prune all holly species as for American holly.)
Andromeda, japanese (Pieris japonica) When: Spring, after flowering. How: Deadhead annually; remove damaged shoots; cut back stems that are too long for shrub shape; cut down to woody framework to renovate.
Aristolochia see Dutchman's Pipe
Artemesia (Wormwood) When: Spring, after last frost. How: Cut all stems back to 1-2 inches in the first spring after planting; clip last year's growth up to half on older plants; hard prune to renovate.
Azalea see Rhododendron
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Barberry (Berberis) (1) Darwin's Barberry - When: Fall or winter, after fruiting. How: Minimal pruning, just shorten to maintain compactness; can be hard pruned if overgrown. (2) Japanese barberry - When: Mid- to late winter; remove dead wood in summer. How: Cut out 20 percent of the stems to the base every year; hard prune if overgrown.
Berberis see Barberry
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) When: Mid- to late summer; late spring for renovation. How: Cut back stems that are too long so the cut is within the shrub (both done to maintain size and shape).
Broom (Cytisus scoparius) When: Summer, after flowering. How: Prune regularly to avoid legginess; cut back stems that have flowered by two-thirds of the growth from last year.
Buddleia see Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bush (Buddleia) When: Early spring, after last frost. How: First year, cut out weak growth, shorten main stems to 6-18 inches (cut to up to 4 feet to maintain more height); subsequent years, prune back to the first year's height. Cut stems at base if plant is too dense.
Buxus sempervirens see Boxwood
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Chaenomeles see Quince, flowering
Cherry shrub (Prunus glandulosa - Dwarf flowering almond) When: Early spring, after flowering. How: First year, prune stems back to near the ground; subsequent years, hard prune all stems.
Clematis Group 1. (Flowers late spring to early summer.) When: Immediately after flowering, if necessary. How: Minimal pruning; cut overlong shoots down to a bud pair; remove growth that is winter-damaged; thin if growth too dense by removing individual stems to a pair of buds or to their base; hard prune to the base every three years. Group 2. (Flowers in early summer on previous year's wood and again in late summer on new shoots.) When: Late winter or early spring, before there is new growth. How: Prune to stimulate new growth while retaining old wood framework; stagger pruning over the season, doing only some shoots at a time; can hard prune every three years. Group 3. (Flower late summer to fall.) When: Late winter or early spring, when buds begin to grow. How: Prune young plants as for Group 1; hard prune established plants every year.
Cornus see Dogwood
Cotoneaster When: Late winter. How: Remove old branches with few leaves and congested branches by cutting back to the main stem.
Cytisus see Broom
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Deutzia scabra (Fuzzy Deutzia) When: Late spring, early summer - after flowering. How: Prune to below the flowered wood where shoots are young; cut out old branches to the ground on mature plants; for renovation, cut old main stems to the ground and shorten the others to well-positioned side shoots.
Dogwood shrub (Cornus alba -Red-twig dogwood) When: Early spring, before bud break. How: First year, no pruning; second year, cut stems back to 2 inches; subsequent years, cut stems back to two buds of last year's growth. Control spread by removing up to four old stems every year.
Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia) When: Late winter, early spring, or midsummer (after flowering). How: For new planting, remove weak, straggly shoots (cut to base) and train strong shots to support; annually, for established plants use same procedure except weak shoots cut at two to three nodes from the main stem instead of the base; hard prune to renovate.
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Erica see Heath
Euonymus europaeus (Spindle tree) When: Late winter, early spring. How: Cut older stems to ground level to relieve congestion.
Euonymus japonicus (Japanese euonymus) When: Spring. How: Prune tips of branches to encourage bushy growth.
Euphorbia When: Midsummer, after flowering. How: Cut off stems that have flowered back to a strong shoot or the base of the plant.
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Firethorn see Pyracantha
Forsythia When: After flowering in the spring; renovate in winter or early spring. How: Prune minimally over first three years; subsequent years, prune out shoots - mainly old one - from the center to reduce congestion ane remove a couple of older main stems to the base. Hard prune over a two year period to renovate.
Fuzzy Deutzia see Deutzia scabra
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Hamamelis see Witch hazel
Heath, Alpine (Erica carnea) When: Spring, after flowering but before there is new growth. How: Cut to below flower spikes; avoid shearing of individual plants for best appearance.
Heath, tree (Erica arborea) When: Young plants in early spring; mature plants in late spring or early summer, after flowering. How: Prune only in first three years; cut stems back by up to two-thirds.
Hibiscus syriacus see Rose of Sharon
Holly see American holly
Hydrangea macrophylla (flowers on wood from previous season) When: Midspring. How: Weak, thin shoots and old stems should be cut to the base; prune back flowered branches from previous year by as much as 12 inches, cutting to fat buds; renovate cold-damaged plants by cutting back to the base (plant will not flower the following summer).
Hydrangea paniculata (flowers on current year's growth) When: Early spring, before active growth begins. How: Cut back every year: first year to its lowest pair of buds, thereby forming a low, woody framework (as low as 10 inches); subsequent years to lowest bud pair above the framework.
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Ilex opaca see American holly
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Lemon verbena (Aloysia) When: Midspring. How: Cut main stems back to buds at about one foot from the ground.
Lilac When: Right after they bloom. How: Prune right behind the dead flowers. There will be two new leaves coming out on the branch behind the spent blossoms, these will create next year's blooms.
Ligustrum see Privet
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Mock orange (Philadelphus coronaries) When: Late summer, after flowering; renovate in winter or early spring. How: Cut back one to four of the old stems to ground level; cut down all old stems to ground level for renovation; to promote leaf growth, trim lightly in late spring to remove flower buds.
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Paeonia see Peony
Peony (Paeonia) When: Summer (after flowering) and fall (after leaves fall). How: Cut old leggy stems on mature plants back to the ground; avoid any other pruning.
Perovskia see Russian sage
Philadelphus coronaries see Mock orange
Privet (Ligustrum ) When: Spring. How: For hedges, cut down new plants to 12 inches and then each of the subsequent three years cut new growth by half; thereafter, trim hedges two to three times from spring to late summer.
Pieris japonica see Andromeda, Japanese
Potentilla When: Midspring; trim in the fall. How: Shorten long, young shoots by as much as half; trim lightly after flowering; cut old wood back to the base and remove weak, twiggy branches; renovation not usually successful, so replace old shrubs.
Privet hedge When: In early spring (though some folks want to have them flower before cutting back). How: You can safely cut the hedge down to 18 inches bur you must fertilize and water during the growing period. Prune so that the top is narrower than the bottom. Each spring, prune off half of the prior year's growth on the top and sides.
Prunus see Cherry
Pyracantha (Firethorn) When: Midspring. How: Remove very long, vigorous branches to maintain shape; prune formal hedges two to three times during spring and summer; hard prune to renovate (makes them vulnerable to fireblight).
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Quince, flowering (Chaenomeles) When: Late spring or early summer, after flowering. How: Thin mature plants and cut back excess growth; in summer, shorten new growth to five to six leaves to improve flowering; to renovate, hard prune in spring over two to three years.
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Rhododendron When: Late spring or early summer (variety specific), after flowering. How: Tip prune one year's growth immediately after flowering to maintain size; remove only dead or disease branches and deadhead; cut back hard to renovate, leaving balanced framework of old wood.
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) When: Late spring. How: Young plants need hard pruning so they will branch at the base; minimum pruning required on mature plants; renovate by removing older branches and hard-pruning remaining branches.
Russian sage (Perovskia) When: Midspring, when new growth appears. How: Every year, hard prune all growth from previous year to 2-3 inches and then just to the woody framework that develops; use same method to renovate old, neglected plants.
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Serviceberry see Shadbush
Shadbush (Amelanchier) When: Winter, when the plant is dormant. How: Cut our old, congested, or intertwined stems to keep the plant as a shrub form; for tree form, select the strongest, straightest stem and clear to a short trunk.
Spirea 'Arguta' (Bridal wreath) When: Early summer, after flowering. How: Young plants: cut flowered stems back to strong buds; remove weak growth. Mature plants: cut one in four stems to ground level; remove weak growth; shorten flowered stems.
Spirea japonica When: Early spring; deadhead after each bloom (possible to get up to three annually). How: New planting, cut out weak, old wood and prune remaining stems to 4-6 inches; prune to one to two buds of this in subsequent years.
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Wisteria When: Midwinter and summer, about two months after flowering. How: Cut back the shoots of the current season in two stages to within two to three buds of their base
Witch hazel (Hamamelis) When: Early spring, after flowering and before there is new growth; remove suckers any time. How: Minimum pruning required; remove crossing branches and weak, unhealthy growth down to healthy, young shoots.
Wormwood see Artemesia
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