When to prune hydrangeas

Prune spring-blooming hydrangeas just after their flowers fade, and summer-blooming hydrangeas in late winter or early spring.

The window: Spring-blooming shrubs: just after the flowers fade (bigleaf hydrangeas: immediately after flowering). Summer-blooming shrubs (panicled and smooth): late winter or early spring, before new growth begins.

Spring-blooming shrubs should be trimmed after they flower.
Bigleaf hydrangeas are safest to prune immediately after flowering.
Panicled and smooth hydrangeas bloom on new wood grown in spring and early summer.
Smooth hydrangea can be cut all the way down to the crown in fall or spring before new growth begins.

The mistake to avoid: Do not prune spring-blooming hydrangeas in late winter, since they should be trimmed after they flower.

Timing varies by region and year; your local extension office is the closest authority.

Grounded in: extension.umd.edu, lancaster.unl.edu, macon.ces.ncsu.edu. Every timing follows sentences verified verbatim on those pages.

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