When to prune flowering shrubs
Learn when to prune flowering shrubs without losing the flowers you’re waiting for. Pick your plant to find the right timing, how much to remove, and which cuts could cost you blooms.
Choose your plant
Which hydrangea are you growing?
Not sure which type you have? Identify it first →When to prune flowering shrubs
Panicle hydrangeas
Blooms on new woodPrune before active growth gets going. Flowers develop on brand new stems during the growing season.
Remove dead or damaged stems first. Shorten healthy stems only as needed to improve the shape; light shaping is often enough.
What about deadheading?
Removing a faded flower is different from cutting back the whole shrub. Check how much stem is safe to remove before you cut.
Follow the plant’s growth stage, not one fixed calendar date. Timing varies with your climate and variety.
Before you prune flowering shrubs
Choose your plant above, then read the timing, pruning advice, and caution before making a cut. For hydrangeas, select the type too; each choice changes the answer. If you’re unsure which hydrangea you have, use our hydrangea identification guide first. Open the step-by-step guide for the full instructions. If you grow several shrubs, check them one at a time rather than assuming the same pruning schedule works for all of them.
