One of the more confusing aspects of gardening is when to prune hydrangeas. The confusion is because the best time of year to prune hydrangeas differs depending on the type of hydrangea you have. Some hydrangeas bloom on the old wood from the previous season while others will bloom on new wood. Determining which hydrangea is which will help make pruning your hydrangeas a success!
Does it Bloom on Old Wood or New Wood?
The variety of hydrangea you have will determine how to best prune them. There are quite a few common hydrangeas in American gardens and the type of wood they bloom on determines how to best prune them.
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Best Time to Prune |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrangea macrophylla | Bigleaf Hydrangea, Mophead Hydrangea, Lacecap Hydrangea | Early summer, right after flowering |
| Hydrangea quercifolia | Oakleaf Hydrangea | Late winter to early spring |
| Hydrangea paniculata | Panicle Hydrangea, Limelight Hydrangea | Late winter to early spring |
| Hydrangea arborescens | Smooth Hydrangea, Annabelle Hydrangea | Late winter to early spring |
| Hydrangea serrata | Mountain Hydrangea, Tea of Heaven | After flowering in late summer |
| Hydrangea anomala petiolaris | Climbing Hydrangea | Late winter to early spring |
Hydrangea macrophylla
Varieties of Hydrangea macrophylla are extremely common and will either have lacecap or mophead flowers. H. macrophylla blooms on the old wood which means it is best to prune these hydrangeas soon after blooming. This give the old wood enough time to generate new flower buds for spring.
Hydrangea quercifolia (Oak Leaf Hydrangea)
Hydrangea quercifolia is a beautiful hydrangea (one of my favorites) that is a native plant in North America (and Tennessee). It’s name comes from it’s leaves that resemble an oak tree in their form. The fall color is gorgeous with burgundy and red colors being very dominant. the blooms flower on tall panicles. Oak leaf hydrangea flowers on the old wood so it is best pruned after blooming. If you prune in the spring you will be removing potential flowers.
Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth hydrangea)
Hydrangea arborescens is another American native hydrangea. It’s often called Smooth Hydrangea and has mophead and lacecap varieties. Lacecap varieties are generally better for native pollinators as they have an easier time accessing pollen. One very popular cultivar of H. arborescens is called ‘Annabelle’ and features the mophead blooms. It’s the variety we grow in our garden currently but I plan to diversify with lacecaps in the future. Smooth hydrangea blooms on new wood so the best time to prune is in fall through early spring just before growth begins.
Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea paniculata is another beautiful panicle flowering hydrangea. ‘Limelight’ is a very common cultivar which features greenish tinted flowers. H. paniculata blooms on the new wood and can be pruning fall through early spring.
A Few Pruning Tips
- Always make sure you are using clean pruners to make the cuts.
- Pay attention to the position of the buds. The flowers or stems will grow in that direction and you can control the form if you observe which way the buds are leading.
- Hydrangeas are very easy to propagate. Take the leftovers from the pruning and give it a try. Here’s a previous post on How to Root Hydrangea Cuttings. Hydrangeas will root from hardwood and softwood cuttings.
Exceptions!
There are always a few exceptions in pruning your plants. If there is dead wood you can prune that at anytime. If you need to perform corrective pruning that is OK too. It won’t hurt the plant it will just remove potential blooms. Sometimes we have to do that in order to properly care for the plant.
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