skip to main content

Southeast Coastal Gardening

Which shrubs can be pruned now?

14 years ago

Being new to this area, I want to know which bushes I can safely prune now. There are a few whose names I don't know so would have trouble finding out online. I know we have azaleas, hibiscus and crape myrtle. Thanks!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
Please note that many plants do not require pruning at all, and may even look the worse for it.

If your azaleas for some reason require pruning, the best time to do so is right after they are finished blooming. They develop the buds for next year's blooms in the late spring/early summer.

Crape myrtles are best pruned in the winter or early spring before they have leafed out. That way, you can see what you are doing. "Crape Murder", by the way, is a termed used to describe those plants that have been topped. Crapes have such a beautiful natural framework (good bones, I say) that is ruined forever by careless and needless pruning.

If you can take some good pictures of your unidentified plants and post them in the 'Name That Plant' forum, you'll soon have names for them all.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
14 years ago
Should you update your profile info?
Related Professionals
Waterloo Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sheboygan Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Farmington Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lubbock Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Ocala Landscape Contractors · Albany Landscape Contractors · Green Bay Landscape Contractors · Forrest City Home Builders · Wilmington Home Builders · Evansville Home Builders · Ashland Home Builders · Amherst Home Builders · Kenosha Home Builders · Roswell Home Builders · Mesquite Home Builders

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES How to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why

GARDENING GUIDES Tidy Up Sprawling Native Shrubs With These Pruning Tips

By Oakley Gardens

Sound horticultural pruning methods work for native and nonnative plants alike

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Garden Overhaul: Which Plants Should Stay, Which Should Go?

By Falon Mihalic

Learning how to inventory your plants is the first step in dealing with an overgrown landscape

WINTER GARDENING Pruning Secrets for Exquisite Roses

By Annie Thornton

Encourage gorgeous blooms year after year with this time-tested advice on how to prune your rosebush in winter for health and shape

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Berry-licious Shrubs to Plant Now for Winter Interest

Showy color during snow season? You bet. These shrubs will wake up a garden with colorful berries when other plants are asleep

GARDENING GUIDES Got Frost-Damaged Plants? How It Happens, and When and How to Prune

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Don’t rush to cut back brown, brittle growth after a freeze

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Vase Shapes Set Shrubs Apart

Billowing on top and slender on the bottom, shrubs in a vase shape showcase blooms and foliage to perfection in the landscape

GARDENING GUIDES How to Avoid Overcrowded, Overpruned Shrubs

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Go for a more natural look that’s easier and less expensive to maintain by giving your plants the right amount of growing room

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Got a hot spot in your garden where plants often die? Try these tough shrubs that add beauty while shrugging off the heat

FLOWERS AND PLANTS 10 Essential Shrubs for Mid-Atlantic Gardens

By Curtis Adams

Easy-to-grow mid-Atlantic native shrubs celebrate the character of the region

Sponsored