Publications & Resources

A Guide to Successful Pruning, Shrub Pruning Calendar

ID

430-462

Authors as Published

Bonnie Lee Appleton, Extension Nursery Specialist, Virginia Tech; Susan C. French, Research Specialist, Virginia Tech

Legend:

* = Best time to prune
x = Do not prune except to correct damage, hazards, or structural defects
- = Timing is not critical

Note:

Flowers are produced on new (current season) wood
Flowers are produced on wood from past season, pruning while dormant will reduce flowers
Make pruning cuts well below diseased wood (fire blight) - disinfect shears between cuts
Remove old stems to ground yearly to renew
Midseason shear if a formal hedge is desired
Do not cut into old wood that has no leaves or needles
Spring/summer prune to remove azalia caterpillars and galls
Fall/early winter pruning can reduce winter hardiness
Snap candles (new growth) in half when needles are 1/2 to 2/3 their normal mature length

	Ja	Fb	Mr	Ap	My	Jn	Ju	Au	Sp	Oc	Nv	Dc	Note
Abelia	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1,4
Almond, Flowering	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Arborvitae	*	*	*	-	-	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	6
Aucuba	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Azalea, Deciduous	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Azalea, Evergreen	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,7
Barberry, Decidudous	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Barberry, Evergreen	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Bayberry	x	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x
Beautyberry	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1,7
Beautybush Kolkwitzia	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Boxwood	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	5
Broom (Cytisus)	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Butterfly- bush	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1
Camellia, Japanese	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	2
Camellia, Sasanqua	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	1
Chastetree (Vitex)	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	1
Cherrylaurel (Prunus)	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	5
Clethra, Summer-sweet	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1
Cotoneaster, Deciduous	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	3
Cotoneaster, Evergreen	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	3
Crape Myrtle	*	*	*	x	x	x	-	-	-	x	x	x	1,8
Daphne Fragrant or Winter	x	x	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Deutzia	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Dogwood, Redtwig	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1,4
Eleagnus, Thorny	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*
Euonymus, Deciduous	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*
Euonymus, Evergreen	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	5
Forsythia	x	x	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Fothergilla	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Gardenia	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1
Harry Lauder's Walking Stick	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Althea	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1
Holly, Deciduous	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	1
Holly, Evergreen	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,5
Honeysuckle	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4,5
Hydrangea, Spring- blooming	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Hydrangea, Summer- blooming	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1
Hypericum, St. Johnswort	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	1
Indian Hawthorn (Raphiolepis)	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Jasmine, Winter	x	x	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Juniper	*	*	*	-	-	-	-	x	x	x	*	*	6
Kerria (Globeflower)	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Leucothoe	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	4
Lilac	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Mahonia Oregon Grapeholly	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Mockorange	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Mountain-laurel (Kalmia)	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Nandina	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	1,4
Osmanthus, Holly	*	*	-	-	-	*	x	x	x	x	*	*	1,5
Pearlbush	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Photinia	*	*	-	-	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	5
Pieris	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Pine, Mugo	*	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	*	9
Pittosporum	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Privet, Deciduous (Ligustrum)	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	5
Privet, Evergreen (Ligustrum)	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	5
Potentilla	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	1,4
Pyracantha	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,3
Quince	x	x	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Rododendron	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Rose	x	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	1,3,4
Serviceberry	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x
Smoke Tree	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	1
Spirea Spring- blooming	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	2
Spirea Summer- blooming	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	1
Sumac	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	*	*	1,4
Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice	x	x	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	1
Viburnum, Deciduous	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Viburnum, Evergreen	x	x	x	x	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	x	2
Weigela	x	x	x	x	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2,4
Willow, Pussy	x	x	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Witchhazel	x	x	x	*	*	*	*	x	x	x	x	x	2
Yew	*	*	*	-	*	*	*	x	x	x	*	*	5

Exceptions

Timing varies across USDA climate zones - zones within Virginia range from 8a in the Virginia Beach area to 5b along the West Virginia border
Prune anytime to correct vandalism and hazards created by equipment or weather
Hedges maintained formally (tight shapes) require more pruning than hedges maintained informally (in their natural form)

Rights

Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, re-print, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University.

Publisher

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Rick D. Rudd, Interim Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Wondi Mersie, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.

Date

May 1, 2009

Available as: PDF (372KB)

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Trees, Shrubs, & Groundcovers

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