10 Trees And Shrubs You Should Never Prune in Spring

After a long, cold winter, you’re probably ready to get outdoors to start tidying up your garden. While there are many plants, such as roses and fruit trees, that can be pruned in late winter to early spring in much of the country, there also are plants you should never prune in at this time of year.

Deciding when to prune shrubs isn’t as complicated as you think. The most straightforward approach is to pay attention to when a shrub blooms. “The buds of spring-blooming deciduous plants are already set,” says Colin Kirk, the Marjorie G. Rosen Manager of Outdoor Gardens at the New York Botanical Garden. “So if you prune now, you’re cutting off the blooms.”

This is because many spring-blooming shrubs bloom on “old wood,” or last season’s growth. “It’s okay to prune summer-blooming shrubs now, such as crepe myrtle and abelia, because they bloom on ‘new wood’ or this year’s growth,” says Megan Proska, associate vice president, horticulture and collections at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. “But stay away from spring-blooming shrubs, which will not have time to recover. Once your shrubs have flowered, it’s fine to shape them, as needed.”

It’s also important to note that you don’t have to prune shrubs. They’ll mostly do fine on their own. However, pruning allows you to remove dead branches and helps shape plants or keep them in check if they’ve become too large for an area, says Proska.

But if you’re not sure about when something in your garden flowers, wait it out so you’ll know for next year. Or search online to learn when a specific plant blooms so you don’t inadvertently cut off this year’s floral display, says Kirk.

Ahead, here are some of the most common spring-flowering shrubs that you should wait until after they are done blooming to prune:

Dogwood

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There are many different varieties of dogwoods, but stay clear of trimming these handsome shrubs or small trees until after they bloom, if necessary. Most need little shaping to keep their naturally attractive form anyhow.

Redbud

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Redbuds burst into bloom in early to mid-spring well before the pretty heart-shaped foliage appears. Resist the urge to trim until after they have leafed out so that you can enjoy this delightful harbinger of warmer days ahead.

Deciduous Magnolia

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Magnolias that shed their leaves don’t typically need pruning, except to remove dead branches or shape. But hold off until they have fully leafed out and after the flowers have dropped, if you need to trim them.

Oakleaf and Bigleaf Hydrangea

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Most types of hydrangeas, such as panicle and smooth hydrangeas, can be pruned in late winter to early spring because they push flowers on new growth. But oakleaf and bigleaf types bloom in late spring to early summer on this year’s wood. If you’re not sure what kind of hydrangea you have, wait it out until after blooming so you don’t risk removing this year’s flowers.

Camellia

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Depending on the type, camellias have varying bloom times that range from fall to early spring. Prune them only right the flowers have dropped so that you don’t cut off the buds, which begin to set in summer.

Azalea

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Prune azaleas in late spring, or early summer, several weeks after they start blooming, when the flowers are shriveled and brown. If you wait to prune until late summer or autumn, you’ll cut off the fuzzy buds forming at the tips of branches. Re-blooming azaleas also can be shaped after the spring bloom.

Viburnum

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There are many different varieties, but prune, if necessary, after flowering in mid to late spring or early summer. Before that, you’ll remove this season’s blooms.

Forsythia

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The sunny yellow flowers of forsythia appear on bare branches and are often the first signs of spring. Wait until right after the blooms drop if you need to prune. This is also the time when you can do a rejuvenation prune to reduce size if the plant has gotten too big and out of control or is looking scraggly.

Lilac

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The gorgeous purple, pink, or white fragrant flowers are an old-fashioned favourite. Prune them right after blooming in late spring.

Weigela

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The nectar-rich, trumpet-shaped blooms of this pretty shrub are irresistible to wildlife, such as butterflies. But don’t prune until late spring or early summer after flowers have faded. Re-blooming types can be pruned after their first big flush in spring.

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Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.