February is a perfect time to prune some perennials | The Compleat Home Gardener

Hydrangeas, roses, and ornamental grasses as well.

February 11, 2026 1:00 pm

The second week of February means it is time to stop procrastinating and order your tickets online for the NWFG show by visiting www.gardenshow.com.

You will not only score a discount but be inspired by this grand indoor show to prune, plant and perfect the garden of your dreams – even it that means just picking up a new houseplant.

This week we continue pruning tips as mid February is the perfect time in Western Washington to prune some hydrangeas, roses, ornamental grasses and some perennials such as lavender.

Prune Hydrangea paniculata now (Pee Gee hydrangeas Limelight hydrangeas, Incrediball hydrangeas)

Not sure what type of hydrangea you have? The paniculata hydrangeas have pointed blooms that start out creamy white then turn rusty pink. Some also have huge white blooms that are more rounded. There are also mountain hydrangeas (Hydrangea serrata) and climbing hydrangeas but these rarely need any pruning. Look for photos to help tell what you have.

Do not prune Hydrangea macrophylla this month (the common hydrangea with the big round blooms)

You will be cutting off flower buds if you prune these traditional hydrangeas that bloom on two year old wood.

Exception to this rule: There are many new hydrangeas such and Endless Summer Hydrangeas that flower on new and old wood so it won’t matter when you prune them.

So why prune the Pee Gee hydrangeas and Limelight hydrangeas now?

Because these panicle hydrangeas flower on new wood. Cutting back the branches in late winter by one third and removing small or weak branches will create larger flowers and stronger stems.

Mid February is what I call the Valentine’s Day Massacre as you can prune back hybrid tea roses, ornamental grasses that go dormant in winter, smoke trees, hedges and twig dogwoods. You can also get snippy with lavender plants by shaping them up and if you have not yet cut off the old hellebore leaves, do the job now.

Now relax. It is pretty hard to kill a plant by pruning at the wrong time of year and most plants, trees and shrubs do just fine without any pruning at all.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of “Easy Answers for Great Gardens” and several other books. For answers to gardening questions, visit plantersplace.com and click “As The Expert”. Copyright for this column owned by Marianne Binetti. For more gardening information, she can be reached at her website, www.binettigarden.com.