Winter Pruning Guide

WHAT	WHEN	HOW
Abelia	Autumn to early spring	Maintain a graceful arching form by cutting away some of the oldest stems at ground level. Pinch growing shoots in spring if you want bushier growth.
Azalea	Late winter or during the growing season	Before growth begins for the season, improve the form of the bush by shortening stems that jut out of place. During the growing season, pinch growing shoot tips where you want bushier growth.
Butterfly bush	Late winter	Cut all stems to the ground.
Chaste tree	Late winter or early spring	Evergreen species need little pruning beyond cutting out weak, twiggy, dead, or broken branches.
Crape myrtle	Late winter	Wherever the plant is not totally winter-hardy, cut off winter-killed wood or cut the whole plant to the ground. Little pruning is needed where this plant is cold-hardy.
Hydrangea	Mostly late winter	For smooth hydrangea, cut all stems to the ground. For bigleaf or oakleaf hydrangea, cut stems with old flowers still attached back to fat flower buds.
Smoke bush	Late winter or early spring, before growth begins	Needs little pruning unless you grow it for its purple leaves rather than for its flowers. In this case, prune severely to stimulate vigorous new growth each spring.
- from The Pruning Book, by Lee Reich