11 Plants You Should Cut Back in April

Spring is here! Though some cold regions of the U.S. face late frosts, many states are well into spring. The daffodils are up, tulips bloom, and animals emerge from winter slumber. Warming ground and ample moisture cause perennials and woody shrubs to open their flowering buds.

The post-blooming period is the best time to cut back many flowering species. Plants like magnolias and camellias begin forming buds for the next year a few weeks after flowering. Wait to cut them back, and you may cut off next year’s blooms! It’s better to pick up the pruners shortly after the plants flower.

Other species, like butterfly bushes, flower off new growth in spring and summer. Trim them in late winter and early spring to keep them shapely, healthy, and performing well. 

So grab your pruners, gloves, and goggles as we learn which plants to cut back in April. It’s time to shape your garden to look its best for the rest of the season! 

Camellia

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Camellia

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Rose

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Peggy Martin Climbing Rose

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Butterfly Bush

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Butterfly Bush

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Forsythia

	common name Forsythia
	botanical name Forsythia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-10’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Forsythias erupt into bloom with bright yellow flowers on naked stems. They have a slight, astringent fragrance that’s reminiscent of witch-hazel. After blooming, the shrubs begin growing leaves and new stems from their woody branches.

This leafy growth period occurs in March or April in most regions, though it may be later or sooner depending on where you live. You’ll know it’s time to prune forsythias when their blossoms fade and leaves emerge. Cut overgrown or crisscrossing stems, and remove some old branches at their bases. 

You may cut forsythias in summer, fall, or winter to keep them formal and tight for topiary, but you’ll remove next year’s flowers. Proper cuts at the right time help preserve the exquisite flowers.

Magnolia

	common name Magnolia
	botanical name Magnolia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-80’
	hardiness zones 4-10

Magnolias are trees and large, woody shrubs with spectacular spring blooms. Some species are evergreen, though most are deciduous. They form buds in fall and winter that explode in late winter and spring. Varieties and hybrids exhibit creamy white, lush yellow, bright pink, and soft purple shades. 

Magnolias, like forsythias, form flowers for next year throughout the growing season. They rarely need extensive cuts, though young saplings benefit from shaping early on. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood and leave the rest be. 

Magnolias may form suckers at their base from the roots. Dig these out as low as possible and snip them below the soil surface as they appear. 

Snowberry

	common name Snowberry
	botanical name Symphoricarpos albus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Snowberries are lovely native shrubs of the western U.S. They’re close relatives of the eastern coralberries, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus. You may treat the two species the same when it comes to pruning.

These berry-forming ornamental shrubs bloom on new wood. You may safely cut back the plants from late winter through early spring (February through April) as they emerge from winter dormancy. Remove suckers, and thin out some large stems to renovate old specimens. Trim overgrown stems by a third to a half to limit rank growth. 

Young snowberries rarely need pruning—it’s best to let them adapt to the site their first few years after transplanting. 

Camellia

	common name Camellia
	botanical name Camellia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 6-20’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Camellias are early spring-blooming plants that can be cut back in April after blooming. They can grow as small trees or large shrubs. You’ll see them thriving in shady gardens, as they prefer dappled sunlight to perform their best. Because they blossom in early spring, they benefit from pruning cuts in April in most regions.

Wait for the blooms to fade, then make selective cuts on your shrubs. Remove the three Ds—dead, damaged, or diseased wood. Then, take out any crisscrossing or inward-growing limbs. 

Though this style of pruning may seem unnecessary, it helps you achieve a prolific blooming specimen on a well-rounded structure. It also helps limit camellia size, as some varieties can reach 20 feet tall!

Hellebore

	common name Hellebore
	botanical name Helleborus spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Hellebores are fleshy perennials with elegantly understated, nodding flowers. They wave in the wind, begging you to come closer so you can turn them upwards and look inside. 

Many hybrids and species offer dozens of bloom colors; find types with black, gray, red, purple, yellow, or white petals. Some are single-petaled, while others have multiple rows of petals in the blossoms!

Though you can leave these perennial plants in the spring, some April cutting back can help them grow well for the rest of the year. Wait for their blooms to fade, then remove flowering stems at their base. Leave the freshly emerging leaves alone, as the plant needs the new leaves to photosynthesize in summer. 

Coleus

	common name Coleus
	botanical name Coleus scutellarioides
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 6”-3’
	hardiness zones 10-11

This leafy, evergreen perennial grows mainly as a summer annual throughout the U.S., though it’s a frost-tender perennial in USDA zones 10 and 11. Coleus sprouts intricately patterned leaves with pink, red, yellow, green, and maroon colors. Some have variegation while others have a single color.

I live in zone 8 in the Pacific Northwest, where coleus dies in the winter, so I overwinter potted plants indoors. April is a good time to prune both indoor and outdoor specimens, whether you live in a warm or cold climate. 

Pinching is an excellent way to keep these shrubs well-shaped. Coleus wounds take many weeks to heal, and pinching new growth encourages quick healing of wounds. Simply find stems without ample branching and pinch them back. Two new shoots will emerge from each stem you pinch. 

Butterfly Bush

	common name Butterfly Bush
	botanical name Buddleja spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-16’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Butterfly bushes receive their name because they attract dozens of butterflies! Their long, blooming spikes are full of tiny blossoms. They contain nectar that adult butterflies feed on in spring, summer, and fall. However, they are highly invasive in some areas. Opt for native alternatives if you live in regions where this plant tends to invade.

The common butterfly bush Buddleja davidii flowers on new wood, and it sometimes dies to the ground during extremely frosty winters. Other species may flower on new or old wood, depending on where they originate from. 

Prune new wood-blooming butterfly bushes in April before new growth emerges. Clip the shrub into a shape you prefer. 

Old wood bloomers benefit from early summer cuts after the flowers fade. This includes species like the alternate leaf butterfly bush, Buddleja alternifolia. 

Rose

	common name Rose
	botanical name Rosa spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-40’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Roses are one of the oldest cultivated flowers in the world! Records show we’ve been growing them for centuries. Though new hybrids require some care to perform well, they reward us gardeners with lush, fragrant blossoms unlike any other species. 

Pruning roses helps them stay compact, healthy, and disease-free. Some species, like lady banks, may reach 40 feet tall! Let these types ramble up a wall or trellis, and save your energy for the shrubby varieties with erect stems. 

In cold climates, wait until after the last frost to prune. Start in late winter or early spring in other areas with mild winters. First, take out the three Ds (dying, damaged, or diseased). Then, remove crossing or rubbing branches, and cut back the tips of healthy limbs to promote dense new growth. 

Make cuts above outward-facing swollen nubs or bud eyes. New stems emerge from these points, and you want future limbs to face outwards rather than crisscrossing inwards.  

Viburnum

	common name Viburnum
	botanical name Viburnum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 3-30’
	hardiness zones 2-10

Viburnums are lovely, woody specimens with early emerging blooms. Some are fragrant, while some makeup for their lack of fragrance with giant, overwhelming clusters of gorgeous petals. Viburnums bloom on old wood; it’s best to snip them right after they flower. 

Lightly shape the shrubs as the flowers fade. You may do heavy pruning before the buds open, though it’s best to do this once every few years as needed for renovation or reshaping. 

For March or April sessions, start by thinning out old limbs and taking out crossing ones. Trim back some smaller branches to encourage denser growth throughout the growing season. 

Glossy Abelia

	common name Glossy Abelia
	botanical name Abelia x grandiflora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-8’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Glossy abelias sprout slightly fragrant, nectar-rich blooms on tidy, neat shrubs. They’re ideal landscaping specimens in urban, suburban, and rural gardens. Add them to borders, line walkways with them, or use them as focal points in a pollinator garden. Their blossoms attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds!

Glossy abelias are hybrids of two other Abelia species, A. chinensis and A. uniflora. They flower on new wood early in the growing season. As they’re blooming, locate dead or diseased stems and remove them. 

If the shrubs are old and overgrown, consider renovating the specimens. Remove entire limbs, or cut the plants to the ground if they’re too unruly.

Boxwood

	common name Boxwood
	botanical name Buxus sempervirens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-20’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Boxwoods are evergreen, unlike most shrubs on this list! They’re tough and hardy, surviving well down to zone 5. Though you’ll continuously shear boxwoods throughout the summer to maintain their shapes, it’s best to do hard pruning in late spring, from March through May. 

Boxwoods take to shaping well, and they’re the shrub of choice for most topiary sculptors. You may use them for hedges, trees, or shrubs. They’re incredibly versatile.

In areas with snow, consider shaping your boxwoods with round or pointy tops. This prevents breakage from snow and ice buildup in the winter.