Amsonia is a hardy perennial rather than a shrub. You can cut last years stems to the ground.

he easy answer for any newb.. is to let it naturally bud out.. and THEN remove all the dead stuff ... let the plant show you what to do ...

what exactly is your hurry??? .. perhaps you need to be a bit more zen in the garden.. rather than compulsive???

jsut becasue there is a mild break in the weather.. doesnt mean you have to be out there.. too early ...

if you plant on hanging around .. and i hope you d. go to your member's page .. and add location .. it can be very important ... e.g. in my z5 MI ... everything is still in very slo motion.. and its not really time to do or worry about things... as compared to floras Z8/9 .. stuffs been actively growing since march ... since you dont seem to be able to see new growth ... i am thinking you are tending toward my zone ...

ken

Ken with a perennial you generally cut it back BEFORE it buds out.

And Amsonia is a perennial that dies back to the ground and resprouts from the roots, so it's a whole lot easier to cut back before it starts growing.

Eric, it would help us give advice if you went to your member page, to advanced setting, and added your zone and general location such as nearest large city and state. In my area it's the perfect time to cut back, but for many folks it's a bit late for easiest trimming.

Ken with a perennial you generally cut it back BEFORE it buds out.

==>> i was offering a suggestion for a newb ... and next year.. after watching this year.. if they can remember.. they can do it your way ..

if in a week or two ... you see all growth down low.. trim it ...

if in a few weeks.. you see all the growth up high.. but is one ugly plant.. cut half back.. and see if you can get buds down low ...

newbs dont really need to ask specifics on every plant.. if they just learn to be patient.. and let the plant show you what need be done.. and dont get me wrong.. we like the posts ...

ken

Yeah but with almost all perennials the single best thing you can do is whack them back before they have a chance to get ahead of you. I can't think of many that would be hurt by being cut all the way back. Way better to overdo it with perennials than be too timid. That's why I got rid of mine. Got so tired of basically losing a month in the early spring doing the whacking, and then waiting another month for them to look like something. I was very mindful that I was responding to an inexperienced gardener's query.