Prune in Early Spring
Prune hard to encourage lots of new growth to flower or for foliage or stem interest:
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
- Smoke Tree (Cotinus)
- Bluebeard (Caryopteris)
- Roses (Rosa)
- Redtwig (Cornus)
- Beautyberry (Callicarpa)
- Spiraea, summer blooming (Spiraea)
Prune to thin older shoots (20-30 %); minimal cut on remaining branches:
- Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
- Hardy Fuchsia (Fuchsia)
- Summersweet (Clethra)
- Pomegranate (Punica)
Prune for removal of crossing or unaesthetic branches only; minimal thinning and no hard pruning:
- Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)
- Magnolia (Magnolia)
- Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)
- Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
- Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
- Holly (Ilex)
- Manzanitas (Arbutus and Arctostaphylos)
- Lilac (Syringa)
Prune immediately after flowering:
Prune lightly for shape or aesthetic; dead-head regularly:
- Rhododendron and azalea (Rhododendron)
- Camelia (Camelia)
- Heaths and Heathers (Erica and Calluna)
- Mexican Orange (Choisya)
- Sweet Box (Sarcococca)
- Oregon Grape (Mahonia)
- Daphne (Daphne)
- Viburnum – deciduous varieties (Viburnum)
- Lavender (Lavendula)
Prune to thin older shoots (20-30%); cut remaining branches to strong branch or bud:
- Forsythia (Forsythia)
- Mock Orange (Philadelphus)
- Beautybush (Kolkwitzia)
- Spiraea, spring bloomers (Spiraea)
- Deutzia (Deutzia)
- Weigela (Weigela)
- Barberry (Berberis)
Prune during growing season
Prune to “frame”, or shear to hedge:
- Laurel (Prunus)
- Photinia (Photinia)
- Quince (Chaenomeles)
- Blueblossom (Ceanothus)
- Privet (Ligustrum)
- Boxwood (Buxus)
- Euonymus, evergreen types
- Viburnum tinus
- Abelia (Abelia)
Prune lightly to thin; encourage flowers that will fruit; prune early:
- Aralia (Fatsia)
- Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster)
- Golddust (Aucuba)
- Firethorn (Pyracantha)
- Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina)
Prune lightly or pinch to limit sprawl and dead-head:
- Gardenia (Gardenia)
- Rockrose (Cistus)
