| ALDER |
Prune in winter or early spring. |
| ARBORVITAE |
Can sheer anytime. Needles mainly around trunk will yellow naturally. Fertilize in spring with Miracid. |
| BALDCYPRESS |
No pruning necessary. Water during dry spells. |
| BARBERRY |
Prune anytime. |
| BEECH |
Prune only to remove dead or damaged wood. |
| BIRCH |
Prune late summer to avoid bleeding. Do not remove papery bark. Apply additional water regularly. |
| BOXWOOD |
Can prune individually or sheer to form hedge effect anytime during growing season. |
| BURNING BUSH |
Prune as needed in early spring to maintain shape and size. |
| BUTTERFLY BUSH |
Cut back hard in early spring before bloom. Remove dead flowers to prolong bloom period. |
| CHOKEBERRY |
Prune after flowering for size and damaged branches. |
| CLETHRA |
Prune if necessary in early spring. Apply extra water during dry spells. |
| COTONEASTER (Spreading) |
Prune as needed. May need to hand weed. |
| COTONEASTER (Upright) |
Can prune in June or July after growth spurt. |
| CRABS |
Prune if needed by early June after flowering. Remove suckers anytime. Fertilize only in spring and early summer. |
| CURRANTS (Alpine) |
Prune anytime. Usually formed into hedge. |
| DAPHNE |
Prune after flowering to maintain shape or to remove dead wood. |
| DOGWOOD (Cornelian Cherry) |
Prune after flowering. Can remove lower branches to form a small round tree. Remove suckers anytime. |
| DOGWOOD (Gray) |
Suckers naturally to form colony. Prune only if necessary. |
| DOGWOOD
(Ivory Halo) |
Cut back 1/3 of oldest branches to 6-12” from ground in early spring to retain red coloration. |
| DOGWOOD (Pagoda) |
Prune after flowering, only if necessary. Heals slowly. |
| DOGWOOD (Red twig) |
Cut back 1/3 of oldest branches to 6-12” from ground in early spring to retain red coloration. |
| FORSYTHIA |
Prune after flowering to control growth. Cut back some of oldest branches to ground (no more than 1/3 of the branches.) |
| FOTHERGILLA |
Little pruning needed. Prune after flowering, if necessary. |
| HAWTHORN |
Prune only to shape in later winter. Prune suckers anytime. |
| HOLLY |
Little pruning needed. Can prune in winter. |
| HONEYLOCUST |
Prune in late summer as needed. Try to keep central leader as long as possible. |
| HORNBEAM |
Prune only to retain tree form or “tight” multi-stem form. Do not disturb rugged, natural appearance if that is the look you desire. |
| HYDRANGEA (Annabelle) |
Cut down to 12-24” from ground in spring. Keeping last year’s sturdy growth will help make the plant more upright and less floppy. |
| HYDRANGEA
(Oak Leaf) |
Can prune after flowering if needed to maintain shape |
| JUNIPER |
Can prune in June or July after growth spurt. Avoid cutting in dead zone or center of plant (it will NOT grow back.) |
| KERRIA |
Cut out old wood after flowering. Can prune to ground if desired to maintain size. |
| LILAC |
Cut back high-growing shoots by 1/3 to 1/2 immediately after flowering. Remove weak growth from bush interior. |
| LINDEN |
Prune as needed. |
| MAGNOLIA |
Prune if necessary after flowering. |
| MAPLE |
Prune in late summer to avoid bleeding. |
| OAK |
Prune in winter to remove desired or broken branches. |
| PEAR |
Prune after flowering to maintain shape, if necessary. |
| PINE (Mugo) |
To maintain size and compact appearance, remove ½ of new growth (the “candle”) in the spring. |
| PINE (Tree) |
Mulch at base; water liberally in fall before ground freezes. |
| PRIVET |
Sheer into hedge effect in summer. |
| PURPLE PLUM |
Best pruned in late winter. Cut young wood back to within 2 or 3 buds of old branches. |
| QUINCE |
Prune after flowering to maintain size desired and to keep center of plant open. |
| REDBUD |
Prune after flowering, only if necessary. |
| REDWOOD (Dawn) |
Seldom requires pruning. |
| RHODODENDRON |
Little pruning needed. Can prune after flowering. For tight, compact shrub, snip off end of new sprouts. Fertilize with Miracid in spring or fall. |
| SERVICEBERRY |
Prune only to shape after flowering. |
| SHRUB ROSES |
To prepare for winter, mulch around base of plant. Prune in early spring when buds are beginning to swell. Cut on a slant above bud. Snip off fading blooms. |
| SMOKEBUSH |
Can be pruned back hard in early spring to induce strong shoots with large leaves. |
| SPIREA |
Prune if desired in early spring before leaves come out. Remove faded flowers to prolong bloom period. Can rejuvenate prune by cutting back to 3’ from ground in early spring. |
| SPRUCE |
Mulch at base; water liberally in fall before ground freezes. |
| SUMAC |
Can remove suckers anytime. |
| SWEETSPIRE |
Little pruning needed except to remove any damaged wood in the early spring. |
| VIBURNUM |
Can prune as needed after flowering. Can remove suckers anytime. |
| WEIGELA |
Can prune after flowering by cutting back the previous year’s growth to new shoots. May need heavy pruning to get rid of deadwood and winter injury. |
| WINTERBERRY |
Trim lightly as growth begins in spring. |
| WITCHHAZE |
Little pruning needed. Can prune during flowering if desired. |
| YEW |
Shear 1-2 times during growing season to maintain desired size and shape. |