Most shrubs can do with a good pruning now and then to improve their shape and to encourage new growth. Many gardeners are eager to get out into the yard come springtime to get everything whipped into shape. Some shrubs, however, bloom very early in spring and so should not be pruned at this time, or you’ll lose all the blooms.
Swipe through to find out which plants you shouldn’t prune in spring.
Azaleas are loved for their showy flowers that bloom in red, white, purple and pink. They bloom in early spring—as early as March— so you’ll want to hold off pruning them until the blooms have faded. Do this chore late spring or early summer to give the plant time to recover before winter. The same cautions apply to rhododendrons, which are closely related to azaleas.
Honeysuckle plants can be lightly shaped throughout the year, and though spring’s energetic growth may have you considering a major prune — hold off. You’ll likely lose some of the spring flowers if you time your trimming incorrectly. Winter is the best time to give honeysuckle a good haircut.
The creamy white flowers of the mock orange plant emit a delicious citrus-like fragrance that perfume the whole yard. But the flowers won’t emerge at all if the plant is pruned too early. Wait until late May or June to prune these quick-growing shrubs.
Lilacs bloom on old wood, meaning they form flower buds in the summer or fall of the previous year. So pruning them after buds have formed will mean no spring flowers. Prune lilacs after flowers have faded in late spring, before new buds form.
The vibrant stalks of yellow forsythia flowers are often the first sign of spring. But like lilacs, forsythia flower buds form well ahead of spring and if you prune the pollinator-friendly plant too early in springtime, you’ll cut off all the flower buds. You’re better off waiting until the plant stops blooming before doing a significant pruning.
The large, white pyramid-shaped clusters of blooms on oakleaf hydrangea are definitely a showstopper. The buds for these beauties form in late summer or early fall the year before they burst forth, so don’t trim until after the plant has bloomed in spring. In general, oakleaf hydrangeas don’t require much pruning at all.
While this shrub typically doesn’t need much pruning, if it’s a bit overgrown or needs shaping, wait until after the spring bloom has finished. Pruning does interfere with fruiting, so if you intend to harvest the fruit for jam, it’s best not to prune at all.