The What, When, and Why to Winter Pruning

Late winter or early spring is the best time to prune many trees and shrubs. Visit us to find assorted gardening gloves for light or heavy work, and a wide range of professional-grade tools. We carry Felco, Wolf Garten, DeWit, and ARS brands. Make clean cuts with sharp tools, and protect your hands from scratches and blisters. These plants benefit from a winter pruning:

Trees

• Evergreens like juniper, yew, holly, boxwoods, inkberry, spruce, and fir. Do not prune pines.
• Shade trees, such as oak, maple, sweetgum, katsura and hornbeam
• Apple and pear trees

Shrubs

• Boxwood, Inkberry, Holly

  

• Rose of Sharon
• Butterfly Bush
• Spirea
• Smooth and panicle hydrangeas
• Roses
• Clethra, beautyberry, potentilla, St. Johnswort

Vines

• Grapes
• Wisteria
• Summer- or fall-blooming clematis

Get more winter pruning tips from the Old Farmer’s Almanac and read our Winter Garden Checklist.