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Pruning not only helps your garden look good, but it is also essential for the healthy growth and flowering of your plants. Other reasons for this important gardening skill include deadwood removal, shaping to control or direct growth, minimizing the risk of falling branches, and harvesting fruits. To get the best results, it helps to prune your shrubs and trees at the right time of year. You should also avoid pruning during warm/humid/rainy weather.

Follow our pruning schedule and learn when to prune your garden plants:

Late Winter: February–March

While plants are fully dormant.

Pruning plants in the winter can help promote quicker regrowth in the spring because most plants are dormant in the winter months. It may also be easier to prune plants in the winter without their foliage.

Plants to prune in winter

• Trumpet vine
• Hydrangeas (bloom on new wood)
• Potentilla
• Summer-blooming spireas
• Flowering crab
• Hawthorne
• Cotoneaster
• Oaks

Early Spring: Late March–April

As snow recedes and before buds fully break.

Similar to the winter, pruning in early spring helps faster growth of the plants.

Plants to prune early spring

• Junipers
• Honeysuckle
• Trumpet vine
• Roses
• Yews
• Arbs
• Hedges
• Rejuvenation pruning (spirea, forsythia, viburnum, honeysuckle)
• Flowering crab
• Hawthorne
• Cotoneaster
• Barberry
• Burning bush
• Dogwood
• Ninebark
• Smokebush

Mid-Spring: Late April–May

When active growth begins.

Pruning in the spring is great for shaping and encouraging more blooms.

Plants to prune mid-spring

• Junipers
• Roses
• Yews
• Arbs
• Hedges

Late Spring: Late May–early June

After most spring leaf-out.

Plants to prune late spring

• Junipers
• Roses
• Arbs
• Hedges
• Maples
• Birch

Note: avoid heavy pruning during heat spikes!

Spring: May–June 

Immediately after blooms fade on spring-flowering shrubs.

Plants to prune in spring

• Lilac
• Bridal wreath spirea
• Forsythia
• Azalea
• Chokeberry
• Magnolia
• Redbud

Early Summer: June

Summer pruning should be done to clean up overgrown landscapes, increase curb appeal, and maintain the health of your plants.

Plants to prune early summer

• Junipers
• Arbs
• Wisteria
• Maples
• Birch
• Hydrangeas (bloom on old wood)

Mid-Summer: July

Mid-summer is also a good time for maintaining the plants’ appearance and health.

Plants to prune mid-summer

• Boxwood (hard prune)
• Yews
• Hedges

Note: avoid heavy pruning during extreme heat!

Late Fall: October–early November

After leaf drop but before the ground freezes and winter arrives.

Some plants are best pruned in the fall if they do not handle cold weather well.

Plants to prune late fall

• Hydrangeas (bloom on new wood)
• Potentilla
• Summer-blooming spireas
• Oaks

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas also need to be regularly pruned to maintain good health and appearance.

Hydrangeas to prune

• New wood: Paniculatas
• Endless Summers
• Annabelles
• Old wood: Oakleafs, Lacecaps, Mopheads

Timing is Key

Pruning at the right time is one of the most impactful things you can do for the long-term health, beauty, and safety of your landscape. By following a seasonally appropriate pruning schedule—and adjusting slightly based on weather conditions—you set your plants up for stronger growth, better flowering, and fewer problems down the road.

When in doubt, remember: timing matters just as much as technique! If you ever feel unsure about what to prune or when, our team at Sunnyside Gardens is always happy to help you make confident, plant-smart decisions for your Minnesota garden.