For many, hydrangeas are the highlight of their landscaping, growing and blooming in bright displays through the yard. Unlike some of the more exotic plants, hydrangeas are not hard to care for. The primary means of care is an annual pruning. This should be done at different times, depending on the type of hydrangeas you’re growing.
When to Prune Hydrangeas
The best time to prune will depend on the variety of hydrangeas you have. The most common types, called Peegee Hydrangea (H. paniculata Grandiflora), sport massive snowball-shaped flower clusters that bloom in mid to late summer. These begin white and slowly turn pink. This variety thrives with regular pruning, usually done in the late winter or early spring to both shape the plant and encourage new growth.
Bigleaf, Mophead, or Florist Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are also a popular variety thanks to their easily-controlled flower coloring (blue in acid soil, pink in alkaline). These should be pruned as soon as the flowers have faded and before buds have set, usually in early to mid fall.
Another popular variety is the Hills-of-Snow or Sevenbark Hydrangea (H. arborescens Grandiflora). This variety does not overwinter well in colder areas, so it will likely be killed back to the ground in the winter and require no pruning. Winter pruning in warmer areas can be done anytime after the leaves have fallen off the plant. A similar variety, Annabelle, should be treated the same.
Oakleaf Hydrangea (H. quercifolia) is usually grown for its leaves rather than its blooms. Since it blooms only on new growth, this variety can be pruned during the late winter or early spring. This goes for other, similar varieties such as Tea of Heaven (H. serrata).
Climbing Hydrangea, which is a vine rather than a shrub, does not require pruning except to keep it in bounds for shape and size.
How to Prune Hydrangea
In all cases, pruning is the same no matter the hydrangea variety. Once you have established the timing, the rest is dependent on your goals for the pruning. Pruning away dead limbs and foliage should be done no matter how it affects the appearance of the plant, of course. The rest of your helpful pruning will be done to the live portions of the plants.
Most varieties of hydrangeas, with the exception of BigLeaf, Mophead, Florist, and Climbing, blossom and bloom only on new growth. So to encourage new growth and thus a maximum amount of flowering, these plants should be pruned about 1/3 of the way back unless you’re encouraging the whole plant to continue growing for size and volume. In that case, cuts should be made about 3-4 inches back from live ends. This encourages new growth and does little to shrink the size of the plant.
When pruning BigLeaf, Mopehead, or Florist hydrangeas, the cuts should be made at the same measurements, but should shy away from any buds as these overwinter and will be the buds and flowers of the spring.
Hydrangea Pruning Tips
When pruning, cut straight with the snips unless you’re hoping to influence the direction of new growth. Keep your snips sharp so that they cut cleanly rather than crushing the limb or stem. Crushing can cause damage that will prevent new growth. Similarly, the torn or jagged ends from cutting with a knife can be problematic.
Prune your hydrangeas with an eye towards new growth and shape. Most prefer the generally rounded shape that naturally comes to most hydrangeas. Lower branches are the ones that most attention should be paid to for proper shaping.
Want to learn more about pruning hydrangeas?
Check out these other resources:
Hydrangea Pruning by the NC State University
Common Hydrangea Questions by U.S. National Arboretum
My Hydrangeas have been eaten by the deer. I need to cut them back to restore their bushy shape. How much damage will I do if I cut them back by about half. What can I expect in terms of blossoms and growth next summer?
I had hydrangeas in New Zealand where there is a very harsh climate, and I always found them a very hardy plant. Seemed to be indestructable!
Well Dang……………..I’ve always read that my Mophead Hydrangeas should be pruned in the spring before buds set, and I have often even pruned them with buds, if the stems were too long. This year, they got smashed by so much snow and ice, and lots and lots of the branches were broken, so all bets were off: we pruned everything that didn’t have any buds, which was about 99% of the plant. We shall see.
I prune my my mopheads to the ground every spring and they come back big every summer! Flowers around mid Sept to Oct. We are in Nebraska.
I live in Nebraska too! What is the best fertilizer for Hydrangeas? I see so many homes with large bushes.
I prune mine when all the green is dead ,, I cut mine down to the grown and they return in the mid to late spring every year ,, I have blue and white ones
I end up with all bush, no blooms no matter what. Any suggestions appreciated.
Try moving the entire plant to a more Sunny spot .
Needs to be fertilized around the bush. Check with a nursery or your big box store for appropriate fertilizer. This help mine.
I PRUNE TWO BUSHES IN THE EARLY SPRING AND STILL NO BLOOMS IN OVER FIVE YEARS.
The variety I have forms flowers on old wood. I used to cut mine back and they never bloomed. The last two years I haven’t touched them at all and I have beautiful pink blooms this year.
Maybe they are a type that blooms on old wood. Don’t prune next spring and see what happens.
Maybe you have slugs? My hydrangeas only have 1 bloom apiece, and I’ve found that that means slugs are eating maybe buds? When I put slug bait around the plants I get more blooms.
Put sand around them. Slugs dont like sand.
They do not like egg shells either. Mine changed colour from blue to pink.
Mine are the same as yours. I had beautifully flowers for the first two years, now none. I wish someone has the answer as to why because they are my favorite flower and I have so many of them.
No idea. My plants there out of 4 bloomed this yr. (Early june) first time in years. Flower is blue but very small.
I’m on Vancouver Island, I planted a hydrangea on the shady side of the house, never look after it,
lol, and it thrives! People stop in the fall and ask if they can cut the blooms, of course I say, yes, as that’s how it gets pruned 🙂 I wanted to put a pic of my hubby holding one of the massive blooms, but it won’t let me add a pic here, anyway, this particular bloom in the pic measured 18″ across!
Stumbled upon your website*google, amazed at your clear & concise information and enjoyed the comments! I was just looking up flowers in general when I saw Hydrangeas…love them and I’m visiting in the Hamptons, my friends needed pruning which I did mid fall. They still look a bit dry and no signs of buds..too early? I’m tempted to trim further back. Suggestion?
I have one hydrangea and it will not grow , what do I put on the plant to make growth.