Spirea Pruning: Coppicing in 1,2,3..... and a pruning rant!

Spireas are one of the most widely used flowering shrubs and can display wonderful flowers in the summer time. In addition these shrubs come in some pretty stellar leaf colors as well. One of my favorites is "Limemound" which has leaves the color of my favorite lemon lime shaved ice. 

There is also one called "Goldflame" which has yellow leaves in the middle of the shrub and then red leaves on the tips like a flame. These all come with pink flowers in the summer, all in addition to the striking leaf color.

Yet in order to get healthy and vigorous plants to put on this full display as actors in your garden some proper pruning and care needs to be done.  Here are my three simple steps for pruning and care of summer flowering spireas.

SPIREA: 1, 2, 3

Early Spring before pruning. New leaves may be started to emerge.

I do have to say that there are some different type of spirea and a few do need to be pruned differently. I will discuss such at the end. Most others will be pruned in the simple manner described below.

This spireas flower on new, current season's branches. Simply put, the more new branches the more flowers. 

Now lets encourage all those new branches!

Step # 1

It's so easy! In EARLY spring just grab a handful of branches in your hand and with a sharp pair of pruners cut them all back down to about 6-8 inches off the ground. Make a nice little round mound. 

YES it really is that easy!

Others watching you from across the street are going to think you killed the plant in this "easy first step." Read on to get a taste of the science.

Prune all the branches down to about 6-8 inches tall

This technique is called COPPICING. Remember that word so you can impress all your friends and neighbors with your horticulture vocabulary when you teach them how to prune their spireas. Coppicing is simply cutting ALL the branches back very short near the ground in order to encourage lots of new, fresh branches to grow. Most spireas need all these new branches because that's where the flowers will be in the summer.

Adventitious Buds will form on this wood, even though you can't see them.

ADVENTITIOUS buds (another impressing term you can use to show how horticulturally astute you are) are buds that are lying just beneath the bark where you can't see them. They will form and become branches only under certain situations where they are awakened.  Coppicing awakens theses hidden, dormant buds and they will then become all those new fresh branches with flowers on the top.

It should look like this when you are done.

Step # 2

This is a good time to add a light application of your favorite shrub fertilizer. There are may types and you have lots of choices in both organic and synthetic. Just make sure it is fairly balanced. In other words the three numbers on the label should close to equal. I like a 14-14-14 for example. In general terms this means 14% Nitrogen, around 14% Phosphorus, and about 14% Potassium. 

Don't use lawn fertilizer as you will grow nice shrubs.......with little or no flowers. 

This spring feeding will allow the nutrients to work down in the soil and be taken up by the plant just in time.

Step # 3

Keep evenly moist and most important ENJOY!!!  It is so rewarding to just watch what this plant will do through Spring as the adventitious buds develop and grow, the branches extend, and the flowers bloom in summer. 

This is what you have to look forward to with proper pruning and care.

You do NOT need to prune this plant again until next Spring. Resist the potential urge to turn it into a nice plant ball or cube, even when you so some landscapers doing it at the big box store. 

A PRUNING RANT

Alright, so I know its a bit creepy (maybe a lot), but I seem to be frequently threatening my students that if they incorrectly prune plants in their future careers, that my disapproving face will haunt them in the night.  Most likely my face already haunts them both day and night, especially around exam time, but this thought does at least get them to pay attention.

There is so much beauty in the variety of form, shape, line, texture, and color that plants produce. It's in their genes! Next time you have the chance to visit a well maintained botanical garden take time to appreciate the differences in the plant's natural forms. 

So why do we see so many plants all pruned into round balls or perfect cubes?  Sure, I appreciate deeply the artistry of topiary. For example I recently was at Disney Horticulture Services in Orlando, FL and was able to see behind the scenes how they create their topiary. It was fantastic, highly engineered, and requires a real expertise in soils, plants, and irrigation!

Yet on many properties the landscape maintenance industry actually has been historically bad at this. An efficient set of motorized power sheers can create balls and cubes out of any plant in record time and it's done at a backbreaking pace, literally. Why plant different plants with different characteristics at all if they are just to be turned into balls?

Ok, I think you get the point! We need to prune plants correctly, and sometimes not prune at all, in order to let plants display the genetic beauty and opulence for which they exist. Of course that's unless it's a Mickey.

EXTRA, EXTRA Read all about it!

There are a few types of spirea that need to be pruned in Summer and Fall instead of Spring. Instead of boring you or getting everyone tongue tied with Latin scientific species names lets try to keep it a bit more simple.

If you spirea booms in spring that prune in summer after flowering, but don't coppice. If your spirea blooms in summer than follow my steps above each year for stellar plants. 

A few shrubs that also do well with annual spring coppicing area:

• Willow
• Butterfly Bush
• Blue Mist Spirea
• Russian Sage
• Dogwood Shrubs
• Smoke Tree
• Elderberry

Hydrangea Pruning: Its as easy as 1, 2, 3

Believe it or not, Spring will eventually come. There are signs already.  Up here in the Pacific Northwest early daffodils are already in brilliant bloom.  If you're in a little colder climate you might have noticed a crocus bulb or two peaking their ambitious heads through the snow or the Birch trees shedding their cinnamon-like debris on top of the winter wonderland. These are the subtle signs that nature gives us, helping us hang on in hope for just a little longer, waiting for the plant world to again resurrect back into vibrant life. I can't wait.

With Spring undoubtedly on its way, this is a great time to do some dormant pruning of plants such as spirea, fruit trees, dogwood shrubs, roses, and especially your hydrangeas, arguably one of the most spectacular flowering shrubs.

Late Winter Hydrangea, ready for pruning

For most people who don't spend everyday caring for plants, pruning can be a little overwhelming. When do I prune? What do I prune?  How much can I take off?  Will this kill the plant?  These are all great questions I have been asked.  The following are my three simple pruning steps to get your hydrangeas in shape, ready to produce breathtaking blooms this coming summer.









STEPS 1, 2, 3

Cut just above a pair of healthy buds

1.  The first step is to simply take your favorite pair of sharp hand pruners and cut off all the dead, spent flowers. Cut just above a pair of healthy buds being sure not to damage them.  If your hydrangea is a bit overgrown then go ahead and cut down the stem a little ways to reduce the height, but be sure to leave a couple feet of stems with buds on them. I should mention here that I like to keep the brown, dried out flower heads on the plant all winter to add color and texture to the garden during the dormant months.

This is what you have after step 1.

Remove oldest/largest branches (about 1/3 or less of the total).

2. The next step is to take a pair of loppers (larger, long handled pruners) and cut back about 1/3 or so of the oldest and largest branches on your plant.  These you will cut back to the base, leaving only a few inches or so left of the branch. Cutting these back will open up the plant and allow younger more energetic branches to flourish and will also encourage new branches to come up from the base. Removing about 1/3 of the oldest branches every year will keep the plant healthy and vigorous.

Finished hydrangea ready for a spectacular summer

3.  In the last step simply go back, grab your small hand pruners and simply prune off any remaining small dead branches. Also, take a second to step back and look at the overall shape and balance of the plant. If there is a branch or two that just look out of place, are too low or high, or just otherwise don't look right go ahead and prune them back and remove them. Once you're happy with the shape dispose of the removed cuttings in your garden waste bin or mulch pile, pat yourself on the back, and wait patiently for your hydrangea summer blooms to wow friends and neighbors.


Hydrangeas are great plants and there are many varieties. For an overview of hydrangeas read my earlier post; Hydrangeas: The Embroidered Globes. Hydrangeas like to be in moist rich soil and part shade. In the spring, add a light application of a balanced fertilizer or a couple inches of good compost mulch.

Hydrangeas: The Embroidered Globes

Blue Mophead Hydrangea, Seattle, WA LDS Temple

With summer here we can't help but discuss one of the most popular summer flowering shrubs. In China, where many of these fabulous plants originate, the mophead styles are commonly called xiuqiu, being interpreted "embroidered globe or sphere." What a wonderfully poetic and most accurate name for this fabulous plant we call hydrangea.

If you're lucky enough to live in an area where the hydrangea will thrive and are considering adding one or two to your garden this summer, I strongly recommend it.   These plants provide year round interest starting with the great color and texture of their spring leaves, to their fantastic summer blooms, and all the way through most of winter.  In winter the flower petals and heads dry up naturally to a carmel tan and hang on the plant for winter interest, especially on those mornings of a frost or light snow. 

If that wasn't enough, most hydrangeas are not overcome by those pesky and annoying insect or disease problems. They also grow in a variety of soil types and most don't need any pruning, so this is certainly an easy plant to take care of.  If you haven't had the best luck with plants in the past just make sure your hydrangea is in part shade and gets sufficient water, especially during the hotter months of the year.

Although there are many hundred different styles or varieties of hydrangeas under several different species it will help to know the most readily available types you are likely to find at your favorite garden center.

Main Hydrangea Types

Mophead Hydrangea, Seattle, WA LDS Temple

Mophead or Bigleaf Hydrangea

This is the Chinese "embroidered globe." They can get up to 6 ft. high and wide, although there are some dwarf varieties. They are known for their large mop head or globular flower heads, and most flower on two year old wood so reduced and careful pruning is a must. (Note: I plan on doing a follow up post on hydrangea pruning in late winter which is the appropriate time for it to be done.)

Lacecap Hydrangea

Lacecap Hydrangea, Seattle, WA LDS Temple,

The Lacecap is characteristic by its flower head containing two different types of flowers. Around the outside consists a ring or halo of wide open flower faces. This is contrasted by a massing of small--yet no less interesting--flowers located within the halo.  The Lacecap is a type of Bigleaf Hydrangea and is treated the same, yet I separate it out as another group from the Mophead shown above because of distinguishing differences in its flower style.

Peegee Hydrangea, Flower World, Maltby, WA

Peegee (Panicled) Hydrangea

The Peegee Hydrangea generally has smaller leaves than the Bigleaf Hydrangeas and its flower is quite different in that it forms a cone shape and the plant can be much larger in size. The flowers are almost always white or cream colored.  The Peegee Hydrangea also differs greatly from the Bigleaf in that it responds really well to annual vigorous pruning and will respond with larger flowers. Prune it like a rose bush.

Oak Leaf Hydrangea, Flower World, Maltby, WA

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

These excellent hydrangeas are characterized by their large Oak shaped, fuzzy leaves. The flowers are similar to the Peegee and come in shades of white. Pruning should be minimally pruned similar to the Bigleaf variety.  The leaves of this variety can turn a burgundy to red in the fall giving a nice fall interest. Smaller than the Peegee, this plant gets 5-6 ft. tall and wide.




I recommend using the hydrangea in an area where you have the opportunity to see their flowers closely. These plants make great accents to front porches or entrances and will always welcome any visitor with wonder. The larger flowered and more intense pink, red, and blue Mophead varieties can also be planted in groups of three to add serious curb appeal from the street.

Rhododendron Pruning: Now that was Easy!

With the peak Rhododendron season of this year just behind us, it is the ideal time to deadhead and do any pruning, especially heavy pruning, that needs to be done on the Rhodies in your yard. Read on to learn about Rhody pruning and the term "adventitious buds," then use the term to prove to friends and neighbors just how much of a green thumb you really have.

Before picture of a Rhody needing some pruning

Many varieties of Rhodies can grow too large for the space allotted to them. If too much time goes by without action some of these varieties will eat up your yard, taking up valuable landscaping space. Because Rhodies will begin setting their buds for next year, a little extra time now can keep these guys under control and encourage heavy flowering next spring.




Follow my 3 Easy Steps:

1)  Start by taking a pair of loppers and reduce the height by taking the tallest branches and cutting them down low in the plant. Once you get the tallest ones out you can always go a bit further by cutting back additional branches, but always remember to step back every few cuts and take a look from different angles so you end up with a balanced plant that doesn't look too crazy.

2) Next, with either your favorite pair of small hand pruners or with just your thumb and forefinger pinch off all the spent flower remnants that remain on the plant. I strongly recommend this step for all your Rhodies each year even if you don't need to reduce the size of your plant as described in Step 1. Leaving the spent flowers allows the plant to expend energy into making seeds and reproducing. We would rather have the plant spend energy making more flower buds for next year. Note: This step can be sticky.


3) Lastly, stand back, take a look, then fine tune the shape and size of the plant by making any additional smaller cuts on a branch here or there by using your small hand pruners to cut back any additional branches that just need to go. For a cleaner look you can make these cuts just above a whorl of leaves along the stem.





Adventitious Buds

Alright, now to the adventitious buds I promised to talk about and an important part of understanding Rhododendron pruning.  Adventitious buds can be described as new buds that break out along the stem where branches and leaves didn't exist before. These develop from particular cells laid down along the stems or branches where they lay waiting just under the bark for the right conditions to break forth. In Rhodies we trigger these adventitious buds to break forth when we cut back larger, woody stems and branches.

Heading cut made to force adventitious bud break

In other words, by cutting back large overgrown branches in the spring, we can force from near these cuts new, young, tender growth to break out and replace the old overgrown areas. It is actually incredible to watch Rhodies and other plants do this.  Many times I will head back a large branch, cutting it half or two thirds of the way down (as opposed to all the way to the base) because I want new growth to break at that point and rejuvenate the plant in that area.  

After picture of Rhody after 3 Easy Steps

Here is a finished look at the Rhody I started with above. From a few feet away it doesn't look like I did anything to it, but compared to the before picture it is smaller, lower, and cleaned up.

This is just what your looking for here, a nice natural looking pruning job, highlighting the plants natural form, but keeping everything under control and flowering well.