Hydrangea Pruning: Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer?
When do you prune your hydrangea? It depends. If your hydrangea blooms on “old” wood, you should NOT cut back in the fall or you will sacrifice next year’s flowers! See our handy chart on when to prune common types of hydrangea.
Chart: When to Prune Hydrangeas
| Hydrangea Type | When to Prune | Where Flowers Appear |
|---|---|---|
| Mophead and Bigleaf (H. macrophylla) | After flowering (summer) | On old growth |
| Oakleaf (H. quercifolia) | After flowering (summer) | On old growth |
| Panicle (H. paniculata) | Late winter/early spring, before spring growth | On new growth |
| Smooth (H. arborescens) | Late winter/early spring, before spring growth | On new growth |
| Mountain (H. serrata) | After flowering (summer) | On old growth |
| Climbing (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) | After flowering (summer) | On old growth |
Photos and Tips by Hydrangea Variety
Both mophead and lacecap hydrangeas are considered bigleaf or macrophylla hydrangeas, so they can be pruned right after flowering by cutting back the flowering shoots to the next bud. If you have older plants that aren’t blooming well, you can cut up to a third of the stems off at the base in late summer to encourage new growth.
Mophead and Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)
There are hydrangea hybrids that grow on both old and new wood. My ‘Endless Summer’ mophead hydrangea (hardy from zones 4 to 9) has the wonderful ability to bloom on both old and new wood. Endless Summer hydrangeas thrive with sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. You do not have to prune your Endless Summer Hydrangea since they bloom on both old and new growth, but if you need to cut back, do so immediately after blooming. Remove only dead stems in the spring.
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My other blue hydrangea is a lacecap-type, called ‘Let’s Dance Starlight’, but instead of the huge, mophead-type of flower cluster that ‘Endless Summer’ has, the lacecap hydrangea bears a flat blossom made up of many small, fertile flowers surrounded by a few showy, sterile flowers. It is hardy from Zones 5 to 9 and blooms on both old and new wood. As with Endless Summer, pruning is generally not needed, but it may be trimmed lightly after the first flowering.
Bottom-line: Mophead and Bigleaf hydrangeas should only be pruned just after the flowers have faded and no later.
Panicle Hydrangeas (H. paniculata)
The hydrangeas grown most often in cooler climates are the panicle-types, since they are not only beautiful, but also very hardy, surviving Zone 3 winters with no problems. One of the oldest and most reliable favorites is ‘Grandiflora’, also known as Pee Gee hydrangea. Native to China and Japan, it was the first Asian hydrangea cultivar introduced to the United States in 1862. They were a big hit during the Victorian era. The flowers start out a creamy white and turn a rosy pink as they age. They can be dried and look lovely in a winter arrangement. Find out how to dry these lovely hydrangeas here.
There are many panicle-types to choose from. I have one called ‘Pinky Winky’ that has long, cone-shaped white and pink flowers, and also ‘Vanilla Strawberry’, which has panicles that color from white at the tip to pink in the middle and red at the base. For something different, try ‘Limelight,’ which has chartreuse flowers that gradually turn pink in autumn.
Bottom-line: Panicle-type hydrangeas should be pruned in late winter or early spring. While they could be pruned in fall, we highly advise waiting until late winter/early spring to reduce risk of injury.
Smooth Hydrangeas (H. arborescens)
Smooth hydrangeas are North American natives, originally found growing wild in Pennsylvania. They tolerate light shade, begin to bloom in June, and continue to blossom until fall. Their white flowers are round and can reach 12 inches in diameter.
The popular cultivar ‘Annabelle’ grows to be 3-5 feet tall and can be used to light up a shady path or as a mass planting at the edge of the woods. It is hardy to Zone 3.
Bottom-line: Smooth hydrangeas can be pruned back to the ground in late winter or early spring. While they could be pruned in fall, we highly advise waiting until late winter/early spring.
Oakleaf Hydrangeas (H. quercifolia)
Oak-leaf hydrangeas are another North American native, having been discovered in Georgia in 1773.
Also called swamp snowball, it is hardy to zone 5, and though it prefers full sun, it can take some shade and still blossom well. It blooms a little later than the other hydrangeas, beginning in August. Its flowers are large panicles that start out white and turn dark pink as they age. The leaves, which are deeply lobed like an oak leaf, turn a rich maroon red in the fall.
Bottom-line: Oakleaf hydrangeas, which bloom on old wood, should only be pruned just after the flowers have faded and no later.
Learn More
Not sure which hydrangea you have? We can help. See our article on Different Hydrangea Varieties (with pictures!).
Enjoy our free complete Guide to Hydrangeas for all your planting, growing, and pruning questions!
Robin Sweetser
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We have a snow cone hydrangea that we inherited with the house. What is the best time to prune it? We are in Zone 8. Only this year have we started to take cuttings. The plant has a southern exposure and is planted next to the house. It is about 6 feet tall, spindly looking. It is about 5-6 feet wide and scrawny looking. We would like to prune it back both to help it fill in better and for more blooms.
I have a mycrophylla hydrangea that bloomed full this past spring so beautiful. When do I prune it? Or do I? Please let me know?
Hi Lorraine,
Hydrangea macrophylla bloom on old wood, so stems that grow the previous year. You want to prune these hydrangeas immediately after flowering by cutting back flowering shoots to the next bud. It is best to prune as close to the end of the blooming season as possible to avoid cutting off potential buds for next year’s flowers. With that said, you can certainly inspect your hydrangea now to see if buds have started to form and if it looks safe, do some light pruning. You also don’t have to prune your hydrangea each year if it is in a location where it has to room to grow larger, providing you with a bigger plant to enjoy.
Hope this helps!
How do I know if what I'm looking at is old wood or new wood, for pruning?
New wood means wood that has grown in the current year; it tends to look more fresh, so it may be a lighter green or not as “woody” looking. Old wood is from last year, so if it’s on the plant right now (winter), it’s old wood. When in doubt, don’t prune until after the plant blooms!
Just read your tips on oak leaf hydrangeas. I live in Zone 8-9. (North of Houston, TX) and my oak leaf absolutely loves my yard. It blooms in April-May and is tall, wide and beautiful. It sits facing north under partial shade of a pin oak tree. So it is possible to have a happy oak leaf south of zone 5.
I live in Durham nc
Is there a chart of different varieties that show when to prune, growth on old or new wood, when to fertilize and with what. I find myself reading pages and pages, and depending on who writes the article differ. I'm not new to hydrangeas and have macrophylla, panicle, oak leaf, Bits of Lace, Lacecaps, but its getting hard to keep them all straight. I too had plants that haven't bloomed now for 2 yrs, need to make sure they get the right nutrition. Also I have read where some put coffee grounds on hydrangeas, true or false if so how much and often. is there anything I can do this year to help next yrs blooms?
I don’t know what kind of hydrangea I have. Can you help me?
Check out our main hydrangeas growing guide!
