Pruning Guide: When and How to Prune UK Shrubs

Why Prune

Pruning has four main purposes: to control size and shape, to encourage flowering and fruiting, to remove dead or diseased wood, and to rejuvenate old or overgrown shrubs. A shrub that is never pruned will eventually become congested, flower less, and accumulate dead wood in the centre.

Not all shrubs need regular pruning. Many can be left to grow naturally and will do fine. The shrubs that benefit most from regular pruning are those that flower on new wood, where pruning encourages the growth that produces flowers, and those that are grown for coloured stems or foliage, where the best colour is on the youngest growth.

The Three Pruning Groups

The RHS classifies shrubs into three pruning groups based on when they flower and how they grow. Knowing which group your shrub belongs to tells you when and how to prune it.

Group 1: Spring flowering shrubs

These shrubs flower on wood grown the previous summer and autumn. They include forsythia, flowering currant (ribes), winter jasmine, philadelphus, weigela, deutzia, and chaenomeles (flowering quince). Prune them immediately after flowering, in late spring, by removing the flowered stems back to a strong new shoot lower down. Do not leave it until later in the year or you will remove next year's flower buds.

The technique is to remove one in three of the oldest stems right down to the ground each year. This keeps the shrub young and flowering well without reducing its size too drastically.

Group 2: Summer flowering shrubs

These shrubs flower on wood grown in the same year, so pruning in late spring encourages the new growth that will flower later. They include buddleia, fuchsia, hydrangea (some types), caryopteris, perovskia, hardy fuchsia, and lavatera. Prune in late March or early April, after the worst of the winter but before growth starts.

The technique varies by shrub. Buddleia and fuchsia are cut back hard, to within 10cm of the ground, each spring. Caryopteris and perovskia get the same treatment. Hydrangeas are lighter pruned, removing the dead flower heads and a few of the oldest stems.

Group 3: Late summer and autumn flowering shrubs and evergreens

This is a varied group including ceanothus, pyracantha, cotoneaster, camellia, rhododendron, and most evergreen shrubs. Most of these need only light pruning to shape, and many should not be pruned at all except to remove dead wood. Prune ceanothus and pyracantha immediately after flowering. Prune camellia and rhododendron immediately after flowering if needed, but they often need no pruning.

Pruning Calendar

Tools for Pruning

Good tools make pruning easier and produce cleaner cuts that heal faster. The four essential tools are secateurs, loppers, a pruning saw, and hedge shears.

Secateurs

Secateurs are for cuts up to about 2cm thick. There are two types: bypass secateurs, which have a sharp blade cutting against a flat anvil, and anvil secateurs, which have a sharp blade cutting onto a soft anvil. Bypass are cleaner and better for live wood. Anvil are better for dead wood. Most gardeners only need bypass secateurs.

Buy the best you can afford. A pair of Felco secateurs costs 40 to 60 pounds and lasts a lifetime with replacement blades. Cheap secateurs cost 10 pounds and last a season.

Loppers

Loppers are for cuts 2 to 5cm thick, where secateurs are not strong enough. They have long handles for leverage. Bypass loppers are cleaner than anvil loppers. A good pair costs 30 to 60 pounds.

Pruning saw

A pruning saw is for cuts over 5cm thick. The blade folds or fixes to a handle, and cuts on the pull stroke. A good pruning saw costs 20 to 40 pounds and will cut through a 10cm branch in seconds.

Hedge shears

Hedge shears are for shaping hedges and topiary, not for shrub pruning. Manual shears are cheap and quiet. Electric hedge trimmers save time on long hedges. See our hedge cutting service for hedge specific advice.

Pruning Techniques

The basic cut

Cut just above a bud, at a slight angle, with the angle sloping away from the bud. The cut should be 5mm above the bud, no closer (which damages the bud) and no further (which leaves a stub that dies back). Choose a bud that faces outward, so the new shoot grows away from the centre of the shrub rather than crossing back into it.

Removing a whole branch

To remove a branch back to the trunk, make the cut just outside the branch collar, which is the slight swelling at the base of the branch. Do not cut flush with the trunk, as this damages the trunk. Do not leave a stub, as this rots back into the trunk.

The three cut method

For a heavy branch, use the three cut method to avoid tearing the bark. First, cut the underside of the branch 30cm from the trunk, a third of the way through. Second, cut the top of the branch 5cm further out, until the branch falls. Third, cut the remaining stub back to the branch collar. This avoids the branch tearing a strip of bark off the trunk as it falls.

Rejuvenation pruning

For an old, overgrown shrub, you can either cut the whole thing back hard in spring (suitable for buddleia, fuchsia, dogwood, and most Group 2 shrubs) or remove one third of the oldest stems each year for three years (suitable for forsythia, philadelphus, and most Group 1 shrubs). The second method is slower but safer for shrubs that do not respond well to hard pruning.

Species Specific Pruning

Roses

Prune bush roses in late February or early March in southern England. Reduce each stem by half to two thirds, cutting to an outward facing bud. Remove dead, diseased, and crossing wood. Aim for an open, goblet shaped bush with 4 to 6 strong stems. See our rose profile for full details.

Climbing roses are pruned in late winter, by reducing the side shoots growing from the main stems to 2 to 3 buds. The main stems are tied in horizontally to encourage flowering shoots along their length.

Hydrangeas

Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas are lightly pruned in spring. Remove the dead flower heads to the first pair of strong buds below. Remove a few of the oldest stems to the ground to encourage new growth. Do not hard prune, as hydrangeas flower on the previous year's wood. See our hydrangea profile for more detail.

Lavender

Prune lavender after flowering in late summer. Cut back to within 2cm of the current year's growth, avoiding cutting into the old wood. Lavender that is not pruned becomes woody and leggy within a few years. See our lavender profile.

Buddleia

Prune buddleia hard in late February or early March. Cut all stems back to within 10cm of the ground, or to a low framework of older wood. This encourages strong new growth that flowers in late summer.

Forsythia

Prune forsythia immediately after flowering in late spring. Remove one third of the oldest stems to the ground, and shorten the remaining flowered stems to a strong young shoot. This keeps the shrub young and flowering well.

Philadelphus (mock orange)

Prune immediately after flowering. Remove one third of the oldest stems to the ground, and shorten the remaining flowered stems by half. The flowers are produced on the previous year's growth, so pruning after flowering gives the new growth time to mature and flower the following year.

Camellia and rhododendron

These rarely need pruning except to remove dead wood or to control size. If you must prune, do it immediately after flowering. Avoid hard pruning, as camellias and rhododendrons do not respond well.

Ceanothus

Prune ceanothus lightly immediately after flowering. Remove the flowered shoots to a strong side shoot. Do not hard prune, as ceanothus does not recover well.

Hebes

Prune hebes lightly in late spring, removing the dead flower heads and trimming to shape. Avoid cutting into old wood, as hebes do not regenerate from it.

Yew and box

Prune yew and box in late summer for shaping. Both tolerate hard pruning and can be cut back into old wood if needed, particularly yew. See our yew profile for more detail.

Pruning Common Mistakes

Pruning at the wrong time

The most common mistake. Pruning a spring flowering shrub in winter removes the flowering wood, and you get no flowers that spring. Pruning a Group 3 shrub in autumn leaves fresh cuts exposed to winter frost. Always check the right pruning time before you start.

Shearing everything into balls

Using hedge shears on shrubs produces a dense outer shell of growth with a dead interior. Light cannot penetrate, and the shrub flowers only on the outside. Use secateurs for individual cuts, and thin the shrub rather than shearing it.

Leaving stubs

A stub above a bud dies back and can rot into the main stem. Cut close to the bud, 5mm above it, at a slight angle.

Cutting flush with the trunk

Flush cuts damage the branch collar and slow healing. Cut just outside the collar, leaving the slight swelling intact.

Over pruning

Removing more than a third of a shrub in a single year stresses the plant. It responds with vigorous, soft growth that is prone to disease and frost damage. Spread major pruning over two or three years if possible.

Pruning in wet weather

Wet weather spreads disease through pruning cuts. Wait for a dry day, particularly when pruning roses and fruit trees.

Pruning for Rejuvenation

An old, overgrown shrub can often be brought back to life with rejuvenation pruning. The technique depends on the shrub.

For shrubs that respond well to hard pruning (buddleia, fuchsia, dogwood, willow, philadelphus, forsythia, ribes), cut the whole shrub back to 30cm from the ground in late winter. It will regrow strongly in the spring and flower the following year.

For shrubs that do not respond to hard pruning (ceanothus, camellia, rhododendron, conifers), rejuvenation is done over three years. Remove one third of the oldest stems to the ground each year, allowing the shrub to produce new growth from the base. By the end of three years, the shrub is completely renewed.

For shrubs that do not regenerate from old wood (hebes, many conifers, lavenders), rejuvenation is not possible. If the shrub has become woody and leggy, the only option is to replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I prune at the wrong time?

Usually nothing fatal. The shrub will survive but you may lose a year of flowers. Spring flowering shrubs pruned in winter will not flower that spring. Summer flowering shrubs pruned in autumn may produce soft growth that is damaged by frost. Pruning at the wrong time rarely kills a shrub, but it does waste the plant's energy.

Can I hard prune an old shrub?

Depends on the shrub. Buddleia, fuchsia, dogwood, willow, forsythia, philadelphus, and ribes respond well to hard pruning. Ceanothus, camellia, rhododendron, and most conifers do not. If you are not sure, prune one third of the stems each year for three years rather than cutting the whole shrub back at once.

Do I need to seal pruning cuts?

No. Modern research shows that pruning paint does not help and may actually slow healing by trapping moisture. The plant forms its own callus over the cut. The exception is pruning cherries and plums in summer to prevent silver leaf disease, where a wound paint may help.

When should I prune my hydrangea?

For mophead and lacecap hydrangeas, prune in spring by removing the dead flower heads to the first pair of strong buds. Remove a few of the oldest stems to the ground. Do not hard prune, as the flowers form on the previous year's wood. See our hydrangea profile for more detail.

Why has my shrub not flowered since I pruned it?

You probably pruned at the wrong time and removed the flowering wood. Spring flowering shrubs pruned in winter will not flower that spring. The shrub will recover and flower the following year, but you have lost a year. Check the right pruning time before you prune next time.

Final Thoughts

Pruning is one of those garden jobs that is easier than it looks, once you know the principles. Prune spring flowering shrubs after flowering, summer flowering shrubs in late spring, evergreens in late spring. Use sharp, clean tools, cut just above an outward facing bud, and never remove more than a third of the plant in a single year. When in doubt, do not prune.

If you have shrubs that need pruning and you are not sure where to start, get in touch with our team. We can prune your shrubs at the right time of year, give you advice on the right technique for each one, and rejuvenate overgrown specimens that you may have given up on.

Further Reading

• When to cut hedges in the UK
• Roses plant profile
• Hydrangea plant profile
• Hedge cutting service

Sources and citations

This article draws on the following sources. Specific claims are cited inline where relevant.

1. CGM field records (2025-12. Site observations from gardens across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire.
2. Royal Horticultural Society (2024). RHS Gardening Advice and Plant Finder. Available at rhs.org.uk.
3. Met Office (2024). Regional climate averages, South East England. Available at metoffice.gov.uk.
4. British Geological Survey (2024). Soil parent material data for the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Available at bgs.ac.uk.