HomeCalendarWhat to Plant NowFrost & Heat PlannerWhen to PruneBlog
Resources
ResourcesSeasonal Tips
Watch Sprouty
About

Flowering shrubs · pruning calendar

When to prune hydrangeas

It depends on the type. Bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood: prune right after flowering, and not after early August. Panicle and smooth hydrangeas bloom on new wood: prune in late winter or early spring.

Should I prune my hydrangeas this month?

Your ZIP picks your climate row in the chart below. Use a USDA zone instead

Bigleaf or oakleaf

How to tell: Bigleaf: large, glossy, toothed leaves and blue, pink or purple mopheads or lacecaps. Oakleaf: leaves shaped like oak leaves, white cone-shaped flowers.

Hydrangea, Bigleaf or oakleaf: pruning by month and USDA zone band
ClimateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Coldzones 3–5January: Don’t prune nowFebruary: Don’t prune nowMarch: Don’t prune nowApril: WaitMay: WaitJune: WaitJuly: Prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: Don’t prune nowNovember: Don’t prune nowDecember: Don’t prune now
Temperatezones 6–8January: Don’t prune nowFebruary: Don’t prune nowMarch: WaitApril: WaitMay: WaitJune: Prune nowJuly: Prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: Don’t prune nowNovember: Don’t prune nowDecember: Don’t prune now
Warmzones 9–11January: Don’t prune nowFebruary: Don’t prune nowMarch: WaitApril: WaitMay: WaitJune: Prune nowJuly: Prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: Don’t prune nowNovember: Don’t prune nowDecember: Don’t prune now
  • Prune now
  • Wait
  • Don’t prune now
  • Don’t prune now Next year’s flower buds are already formed on the stems. Cutting now removes them.
  • Wait Only snip dead stems back to the first fat, green bud once leaves appear. Save shaping for right after bloom.
  • Prune now Blooms are finishing. Prune now, before August, so new growth can set next year’s flower buds.
  • Don’t prune now It’s past the end of July. Next year’s flower buds are forming, so cutting now removes them.

How to cut: Cut flowered stems back to a pair of fat buds. Endless Summer types also bloom on new wood, so they forgive mistakes better.

Panicle or smooth (Annabelle)

How to tell: Panicle: cone-shaped white flowers that age to pink, often trained as a small tree. Smooth (Annabelle): round white heads on thin stems.

Hydrangea, Panicle or smooth (Annabelle): pruning by month and USDA zone band
ClimateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Coldzones 3–5January: WaitFebruary: WaitMarch: Prune nowApril: Prune nowMay: WaitJune: Don’t prune nowJuly: Don’t prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: WaitNovember: WaitDecember: Wait
Temperatezones 6–8January: WaitFebruary: Prune nowMarch: Prune nowApril: WaitMay: Don’t prune nowJune: Don’t prune nowJuly: Don’t prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: WaitNovember: WaitDecember: Wait
Warmzones 9–11January: Prune nowFebruary: Prune nowMarch: WaitApril: Don’t prune nowMay: Don’t prune nowJune: Don’t prune nowJuly: Don’t prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: WaitNovember: WaitDecember: Wait
  • Prune now
  • Wait
  • Don’t prune now
  • Wait It’s fine to prune, but waiting until late winter keeps the dried flower heads for winter interest.
  • Prune now They bloom on this year’s new growth, so late winter or early spring cuts don’t cost flowers.
  • Wait New growth is already underway. Light cuts are fine, but hard pruning now delays flowers.
  • Don’t prune now It’s growing or blooming on this year’s stems. Cutting now removes this summer’s flowers.

How to cut: Panicle: cut stems back to just above a fat bud. Smooth: cut stems to the ground or to about 1 foot, or skip pruning for a bigger shrub.

I’m not sure

How to tell: Bigleaf has large, glossy, toothed leaves and blue or pink flowers. Oakleaf has oak-shaped leaves. Panicle has cone-shaped white flowers. Smooth (Annabelle) has round white heads on thin stems.

Hydrangea, I’m not sure: pruning by month and USDA zone band
ClimateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Coldzones 3–5January: Don’t prune nowFebruary: Don’t prune nowMarch: Don’t prune nowApril: WaitMay: WaitJune: Don’t prune nowJuly: Don’t prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: Don’t prune nowNovember: Don’t prune nowDecember: Don’t prune now
Temperatezones 6–8January: Don’t prune nowFebruary: Don’t prune nowMarch: WaitApril: WaitMay: Don’t prune nowJune: Don’t prune nowJuly: Don’t prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: Don’t prune nowNovember: Don’t prune nowDecember: Don’t prune now
Warmzones 9–11January: Don’t prune nowFebruary: Don’t prune nowMarch: WaitApril: WaitMay: Don’t prune nowJune: Don’t prune nowJuly: Don’t prune nowAugust: Don’t prune nowSeptember: Don’t prune nowOctober: Don’t prune nowNovember: Don’t prune nowDecember: Don’t prune now
  • Prune now
  • Wait
  • Don’t prune now
  • Don’t prune now Hold off until you know the type. The wrong timing removes a whole year of flowers on bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangeas.
  • Wait Only cut out stems that are clearly dead once leaves appear. Save any shaping until you know the type.

How to cut: Look at it while it’s in bloom and match it to the types above. Then use that type’s timing.

Sources

Months are grouped into broad USDA zone bands, so local weather, elevation and the plant itself still have the final say.

Free · no account · printable

More free Sprouty tools