Native Shrubs To Prune In Summer

Pruning is a gardening practice involving the selective removal of certain parts of a woody plant. With our native shrubs, it can be helpful to know their growth habits and bloom times to determine if and when they may benefit from pruning. 

This table lists common native shrubs that are said to bloom on “old wood,” which means that their flower buds were set last year rather than in the current growing season. They should be pruned in the summertime, shortly after they bloom.

The chart also indicates which shrub species may spread to form colonies or thickets by suckering, sending up new shoots around the perimeter of their original base. The scientific name for each plant is linked to the relevant fact sheet when one is available.

Shrub	Notes
Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa Blooms May	Lightly prune to shape after flowering Suckers
Coastal Doghobble Leucothoe axillaris Blooms March-May	May rejuvenate by cutting to ground after flowering Can grow four feet in a year after being cut back Spreads by stolons
Common Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius Blooms May	Prune after blooming, no later than mid-August May be cut to ground in winter to rejuvenate
Common Yucca Yucca filamentosa Blooms June-July	Doesn’t need pruning; resents disturbance Divide young offshoots; established plants have deep, thick roots
Dwarf Fothergilla Fothergilla gardenii Blooms April-May	Prune after blooming May slowly colonize through suckers
Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia Blooms May	Remove spent flower clusters immediately after bloom Prune lightly after bloom to promote bushy growth
Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia Blooms May-July	Winter damaged stems may be pruned in early spring Otherwise, prune shortly after flowering
Pinxterbloom Azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides Blooms April-May	Remove spent flowers immediately after blooming Slow-growing; if desired, prune immediately after flowering Spreads by stolons
Possumhaw Viburnum nudum Blooms April-May	Prune as needed after immediately flowering Also applies to other native viburnums (Arrowwood and Mapleleaf) Black Haw can be grown as single-trunk tree
Red Chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia Blooms May	Lightly prune to shape after flowering Suckers
Rosebay Rhododendron Rhododendron maximum Blooms June	Prune after flowering, if desired
Spicebush Lindera benzoin Blooms March-April	Requires little pruning If necessary, prune after flowering
Sweet-shrub Calycanthus floridus Blooms April-June	Prune immediately after fowering to shape or maintain compactness Expands by suckers
Virginia Sweetspire Itea virginica Blooms May-June	Prune after flowering Colonizes readily through suckering