What do you mean by too late? The very best time to prune most plants, evergreen or deciduous, is in the late fall through early spring. The exceptions would be those plants that flower in the spring on last year's wood, etc.

The worst time to prune in warmer climates is in the late summer through early fall. Pruning, being primarily a growth promoting activity, can stimulate a late flush of axillary growth that we just don't want to happen at that time of year.

If your privet needs to be pruned heavily, I would actually wait until just before spring green-up, though it could be done at any time your plant is totally at rest for the winter. Do you know what USDA Climate zone you live in?

Go ahead and prune. Given the current temperatures and lack of rainfall, the chances of stimulating new growth right now are miniscule.

Oh, goody! You two are saying what I want to hear. I am in zone 7 - just northeast of Birmingham. Hubby just never got around to pruning these bushes and they look really overgrown now that everything else has died back.

I'm not doing anything drastic. Just pruning back about 8-12 inches of shrubs that are about 5-1/2 feet high.

If I don't prune, my Christmas decorations won't be seen!

BIG smile!
Mimi