Marty Baldwin
Spirea is a group ofhardworking flowering shrubsthat grow with gusto in all kinds of conditions.
With all that growth, these plants benefit from an annual trim, but when to prune spirea?
It depends on when your spirea blooms.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
And how to prune it depends on how overgrown your shrub is, and what your goal is.
Find all the details for pruning your specific pop in of spirea here.
These old-fashioned plants are returning to popularity thanks to cascading branches covered with intensely fragrant white flowers.
Credit:Laurie Black
Bridal wreath spirea and Vanhoutte spirea shrubs have a fountainlike appearance.
They stand 4 to 8 feet tall and are exceptionallyeasy to grow in full sunand a variety of soils.
Annual pruning keeps them in shape.
Wait until late spring or early summer to prune spring-blooming spirea.
The best time to prune is right after the flowers fade.
Pruning after bloom spurs the plants to produce new growth loaded with flower buds for the following spring.
Dont trim spring-flowering spirea in winter.
Remove the oldest canes.
Annual pruning is essential to maintaining the gracefully mounded shape of spring-blooming spireas.
Cut one-third of the oldest stems in the center of the shrub back to ground level every spring.
Use loppers to reach inside the robust shrubs and reach the large woody stems.
Cut out dead and damaged wood.
Scan the plant for dead, weak, and broken branches.
Cut the damaged branches back to ground level.
To tell whether a branch is dead or alive, scratch the top layer of bark with your thumbnail.
The stem is alive if the underlying tissue is green or yellow-green.
It is likely dead if it is brown or cream and the branch feels brittle.
If a spring-blooming spirea is wildly overgrown, it can be cut back to 1 foot tall.
This severe pruning method is called rejuvenation or renewal pruning.
Not all woody shrubs will tolerate such severe pruning, but spirea usually can.
Expect a spring-blooming spirea to return to its mature size about three years after rejuvenation pruning.
Consider the growing location.
Many varieties also boast brilliant fall color.
Japanese spirea, birchleaf spirea, and bumalda spirea are popular members of the summer-flowering group.
Regular pruning keeps the twiggy growth of thesefast-growing shrubsin check and helps them develop a pleasing shape.
Prune in late winter or early spring.
The leafless branches in late winter make it easy to see the overall shape of the plant.
Remove dead and broken branches.
Cut away all dead and broken twigs at their base.
Dont hesitate to cut stems all the way back to ground level.
Summer-blooming spirea quickly regrows from the crown of the plant.
Prune to create a pleasing shape.
Using hedge shears or bypass pruners, cut stems back several inches to give the plant a pleasing shape.
Cut it back significantly every two or three years.
Because they grow so vigorously, these shrubs quickly take on a lanky, overgrown appearance.
Cutting plants back to 6 inches tall promotes dense growth and a compact form.
