Get your pruning shears ready! Here’s a list of 37 common shrubs that respond well to maintenance pruning. And if you do it on a regular basis — once a year on most shrubs — it’s an easy task. Since there are no drastic cuts, the shrubs fill in again in just a few weeks, too. So think about which of these shrubs you have in your garden — you may have at least one that could be improved by a bit of pruning right now!
| Plant Name |
Best time to prune |
Cold/Heat zones |
Tips |
Abelia, glossy
Abelia xgrandiflora |
Winter |
6-9/9-1 |
If needed, thin out the oldest stems to the ground each winter to keep this shrub in shape |
Azalea
Rhododendron hybrid |
Late spring to early summer |
4-9/9-1 |
Slow to recover from heavy pruning; taking off too much may retard blooming for a year or two |
Barberry
Berberis spp. |
Late spring to early summer |
4-8/8-1 |
Pruning is the same for both deciduous and evergreen types; thorny, so always wear gloves |
Bayberry, northern
Myrica pensylvanica |
Early summer |
3-7/7-1 |
Maintain natural, informal shape and size with light pruning; rarely needs rejuvenation |
Burning bush
Euonymus alatus |
Anytime |
4-9/9-1 |
Prune before new growth for a more casual look or after new growth for a tighter, more formal appearance |
Camellia, Japanese
Camellia japonica |
Late spring |
6-8/8-1 |
Slow to recover from heavy pruning so try to keep it
in shape with more frequent light trimmings |
Carolina allspice/sweetshrub
Calycanthus floridus |
Spring or late summer |
4-9/9-1 |
Lightly prune to maintain form |
Chastetree
Vitex agnus-castus |
Late winter |
6-9/9-1 |
Shrubs can be pruned quite severely; prune tree-form specimens only lightly |
Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster spp. |
Winter |
4-9/9-1 |
Prone to fireblight so prune below infected areas; sterilize shears between cuts with bleach solution |
Deutzia
Deutzia spp. |
Early Summer |
5-8/8-1 |
Blooms better with annual pruning |
Dogwood, red twig
Cornus alba |
Winter or early spring |
2-8/8-1 |
Hard pruning in early spring produces the most colorful stems for winter interest |
Firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea |
Summer |
5-9/9-1 |
Thorny, so wear gloves; sterilize shears between cuts to prevent spreading fireblight |
Forsythia
Forsythia hybrid |
Spring |
4-8/8-1 |
Prune every year after blooming to keep this fast-growing shrub under control |
Fothergilla, dwarf
Fothergilla gardenii |
Early summer |
5-8/8-1 |
Open habit and small size; rarely needs much pruning |
Heavenly bamboo
Nandina domestica |
Spring |
6-9/9-1 |
Prune tips to maintain size; thin out four or five of the oldest stems each year to keep this shrub tidy |
Honeysuckle
Lonicera spp. |
Summer |
3-10/10-1 |
Tolerant of almost any type of pruning; quick to recover and fill in again |
Hydrangea, smooth
Hydrangea arborescens |
Late winter |
3-9/9-1 |
Prune lightly to allow this plant to grow tallest; cutting back severely will give you fewer, but larger, flowers |
Kerria
Kerria japonica |
Early summer |
4-9/9-1 |
Take out some of the oldest stems to produce more flowers and bright green stems for winter interest |
Lilac, common
Syringa vulgaris |
Late spring |
3-8/8-1 |
Prune lightly to control size; cut back severely when overgrown — takes several years to bloom again |
Lilac, dwarf Korean
Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’ |
Early summer |
3-8/8-1 |
Rarely needs much pruning to stay dense and compact |
Maple, Amur
Acer tataricum ginnala |
Midsummer |
2-8/8-1 |
Wounds bleed sap if cut in winter or early spring |
Mockorange
Philadelphus hybrid |
Late spring |
4-8/8-1 |
Remove oldest stems from the center to keep this shrub blooming its best |
Mountain-laurel
Kalmia latifolia |
Early summer |
4-9/9-1 |
Performs well with minimal pruning; deadhead spent flowers to stimulate more side branches |
Privet
Ligustrum spp. |
Early spring |
3-10/10-1 |
Do heavy pruning in early spring, but can be lightly trimmed at any time during the year |
Pussywillow
Salix caprea |
Late spring |
3-8/8-1 |
Removing some of the oldest stems will produce long stems for cutting; quick to recover from pruning |
Quince, flowering
(in photo above)
Chaenomeles spp. |
Late spring to summer |
5-8/8-1 |
Wear gloves and long sleeves, flowering spurs are similar to thorns |
Rose-of-Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus |
Early spring |
5-8/8-1 |
Prune lightly to maintain a large size shrub or keep it small with regular heavy pruning |
Siberian peashrub
Caragana arborescens |
Late spring |
2-7/7-1 |
Rarely needs pruning except to control size; lightly trim specimens that are trained into tree-form |
Smoke tree
Cotinus coggygria |
Winter |
5-8/8-1 |
Prune lightly for large plants or cut to the ground each winter to maintain a small shrub |
Spirea, Japanese
Spiraea japonica
|
Late winter |
3-8/8-1 |
Cut back severely each year for dense growth and more flowers; trim lightly after flowering for a possible rebloom |
Spirea, Van Houtte
Spiraea xvanhouttei |
Late spring |
3-9/9-1 |
Recovers quickly from hard pruning; best form and flowering in early summer with regular trimming |
Viburnum, arrowwood
Viburnum dentatum |
Late spring |
3-8/8-1 |
You′ll lose the fall fruit with spring pruning, but this shrub will flower normally next spring |
Virginia sweetspire
Itea virginica |
Summer |
5-9/9-1 |
Pruning will keep this shrub from growing loose and floppy; rarely needs to be cut back severely |
Weigela
Weigela florida |
Summer |
4-9/9-1 |
Regular pruning promotes the best flowering; recovers quickly from a severe cutting back |
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata |
Late winter |
4-8/8-1 |
Regular light pruning will result in more colorful fruit along the stems; slow to recover from heavy pruning |
Witchhazel
Hamamelis spp.
|
Late spring to summer |
4-8/8-1 |
Open branching habit rarely needs much pruning; prune lightly to control size |
Yew
Taxus spp. |
Late winter |
4-8/8-1 |
Late winter for heavy pruning; can easily be trimmed any time of year |
