I have whacked mine back on occasion and they do come back - they are not going to be 8' again this year, but they will leaf out and grow new branches. But I'm not really a gardener so hopefully someone with more experience can add more info...

wondering..why were they pruned?..there's space for them to grow..

did you know they're considered invasive?..I don't think? they're banned..I saw them for sale last year..

I have some that were purchased and planted 17 years ago..I need them for screening and haven't pruned mine..I've never fertilized them..

my neighbors prune theirs..they seem to grow back..

Yes, they will come back. They will leaf out and turn back into a full green bush this year, just shorter. A little fertilizer won't hurt if it makes you feel better, but they don't need it and it won't make much difference in the outcome.

HB and Christopher CNC: Thanks so much for your response and confirmation that they will come back. My neighbor wasn’t sure after he saw them and thought we might need to remove them. So glad that’s not the case!

nicholsworth: The landscaper recommended doing a hard prune because they were getting leggy and completely swallowed the fence (this was all here when we bought the house and I don’t really like the fence sections, but that area is low on the to-do list). Also, although there is a good amount of space around most of the bushes, it’s hard to tell from the picture angle but the first one was closing in on the generator area and making it tricky to mow the area between the two (they are prickly!). And finally, they were infringing on our neighbor’s yard and killing a good amount of their grass (we’re reseeding it for them), so wanted to give them their yard back!

Edited to Add: I did not know that they are invasive, but learned about it while looking online regarding this issue. Are there special concerns/things we should do differently because of that label? Thanks!

I don't care for flat shrubs or "meatballs"..when I prune occasionally I basically leave the base wider and the top narrower..I clip a little more as I go up..I have a natural look rather than formal hedges..

in my opinion lots of landscapers and tree trimmers cut excessively!!..

we've needed and hired lots of tree trimmers..but have never hired landscapers to prune shrubs..we do our own pruning..I know I'd be unhappy with the results if I hired someone..the middle part of my backyard today..

bottom left corner has viburnums..you can't see the burning bushes well in this pic..they're still pretty bare at the moment..the burning bushes were planted 10 feet inside the property line to block the house in back..there's a nice path behind them..I can maintain my "hedge" on my own property..

some would say remove the burning bushes..I'm not willing to remove mine at the moment..(I can't lose my privacy)..if you could Iive without yours I'd remove them..

nicholsworth: We prefer a more natural look as well, and hopefully they will achieve that once they start to fill out. It does appear as though they were cut back in a more natural way and not cut straight across the top.

gardengal: I appreciate your honest feedback. When we tackle the back yard, we will look into replacing them. They must have been a popular choice when our neighborhood was built because they are in pretty much every yard.

a neighbor in back has a side hedge of them..I thought "they're tall and thick..they tolerate shade..I'll get some too.."

mine were planted as screening..not a focal point..they made a big difference and block a neighbor's unsightly yard..to me they're more attractive than the sickly boxwoods and naked at the bottom yews that I see everywhere..