Craving a garden that bursts into bloom like fireworks this summer? The secret isn’t just in the seeds you sow—it’s in the snips you make. Now’s the time to grab those pruners and give your plants a timely haircut to wake them up, spark fresh growth, and set the stage for a spectacular floral performance.
But tread carefully—not every plant takes kindly to a trim. Cut the wrong ones, and you might throw a wrench in your summer bloom show. Here are 14 flowering superstars that are begging for a spring snip—and 4 divas that prefer to be left untouched if you want their blossoms to steal the spotlight.
1. Roses Need a Good Haircut
Early spring is prime time for rose pruning. Remove any dead or diseased canes by cutting them back to healthy tissue where you see white or light green centers when cut. Shape the bush by trimming to outward-facing buds at 45-degree angles.
Proper pruning prevents disease and encourages abundant summer blooms. Don’t be afraid to cut back hard – roses are surprisingly resilient and respond well to a thorough spring cleaning. Most varieties benefit from removing about one-third of their growth.
2. Butterfly Bush Demands Drastic Cuts
Butterfly bushes bloom on new wood, which means cutting them back severely now leads to spectacular summer flowers. Take a deep breath and cut these shrubs down to about 12-24 inches from the ground, even if they look like dead sticks afterward.
The dramatic pruning stimulates fresh growth where all those gorgeous, butterfly-attracting blooms will appear. Without this yearly reset, butterfly bushes become woody, produce fewer flowers, and develop a messy, top-heavy appearance that’s prone to breakage.
3. Clematis: Know Your Group First
Clematis vines fall into three pruning groups, but Group 2 and 3 varieties benefit from spring trimming. Group 2 types need light pruning – just remove dead stems and trim back to a strong pair of buds. Group 3 clematis can be cut all the way back to 12 inches from the ground.
The trick is identifying which type you have. Generally, if your clematis blooms after June, it’s likely Group 3 and needs that hard cutback. Early bloomers (Group 1) should be left alone until after flowering.
4. Hydrangeas: Only Certain Types
Not all hydrangeas should be pruned in spring! Only panicle hydrangeas (like ‘Limelight’) and smooth hydrangeas (like ‘Annabelle’) need pruning now. These varieties bloom on new wood, so cut them back by about one-third to one-half their height.
The fresh growth will support those gorgeous summer flower heads. Bigleaf hydrangeas (the blue and pink ones) and oakleaf varieties bloom on old wood, so leave those alone except to remove dead branches, or you’ll cut off this year’s flower buds.
5. Lavender Loves a Light Trim
Lavender benefits from early spring pruning to prevent it from becoming woody and sprawling. Cut back about one-third of the green growth, but never into the woody stems – that can kill the plant. Use sharp shears to make clean cuts.
This light haircut promotes bushier growth and more of those fragrant purple flowers. Older lavender plants that have become woody and open in the center might be beyond saving. Consider replacing these with fresh young plants for better blooms.
6. Coneflowers Need Deadheading Now
Those seed heads you left for the birds over winter? Time to clear them out! Cut back any remaining dried stems and seed heads from your coneflowers (Echinacea) to ground level now. This encourages strong new growth from the base.
Early spring cleaning prevents disease and allows sunlight to reach emerging shoots. As a bonus, dividing overcrowded coneflower clumps during spring pruning gives you free plants to spread around your garden or share with friends. These native beauties will reward your efforts with months of colorful blooms.
7. Salvia Needs a Fresh Start
Perennial salvias like Russian sage and ‘May Night’ benefit from a complete cutback in early spring. Prune these plants to about 3-4 inches above the soil line, removing all the old, woody growth from last year.
This rejuvenation pruning stimulates fresh growth and prevents the centers from dying out. Without this annual reset, salvias become woody and produce fewer of those pollinator-friendly flower spikes. The new growth will quickly emerge and produce a tidier, more floriferous plant.
8. Spirea Shrubs Want a Haircut
Spring-flowering spireas (like Bridal Wreath) should wait until after blooming, but summer-flowering varieties need pruning now. Cut summer-blooming spireas back by about one-third to one-half their height using sharp pruners.
This annual trim prevents these quick-growing shrubs from becoming overgrown and encourages more abundant flowering. For older, congested plants, remove a few of the oldest stems completely at ground level. This rejuvenation technique improves air circulation and stimulates fresh growth from the base.
9. Buddleia Needs Brutal Cutbacks
Similar to butterfly bush, buddleia varieties need dramatic spring pruning to perform their best. Cut these shrubs back to about 12 inches from the ground, even if they’ve grown quite large. This severe pruning might look shocking, but it’s exactly what they need.
Buddleia grows incredibly fast and produces flowers on new wood. Without this annual reset, the plants become leggy, produce fewer flowers, and develop weak stems that can’t support their heavy blooms. The fresh growth will quickly reach 5-6 feet with more abundant flower clusters.
10. Ornamental Grasses Need a Reset
Cut back last year’s dried ornamental grass foliage before new growth emerges too far. Use sharp shears or even hedge trimmers to cut most varieties down to about 4-6 inches from the ground. Bundle the stems with twine before cutting to make cleanup easier.
This annual reset prevents your grasses from developing unattractive dead centers. The fresh green growth will quickly emerge for a full season of graceful movement. Some grasses like Hakone grass and blue fescue are evergreen and only need dead foliage removed, not complete cutbacks.
11. Crepe Myrtles Demand Careful Pruning
Avoid “crepe murder” – the practice of severely cutting back crepe myrtles into ugly knobs. Instead, selectively remove crossing branches, twiggy growth, and suckers from the base. Thin out crowded areas to improve air circulation.
Only remove branches smaller than a pencil in diameter. This thoughtful approach maintains the tree’s natural vase-like shape while encouraging better flowering. Properly pruned crepe myrtles develop stronger structures and resist disease better than those subjected to the all-too-common brutal topping.
12. Black-Eyed Susans Benefit from Division
While cutting back dead foliage from black-eyed Susans, check if the center of the clump has died out – a common issue with these popular perennials. If so, dig up the entire clump and divide it, discarding the dead center portion.
Replant the healthy outer sections with fresh soil amendments. This rejuvenation process keeps these summer bloomers vigorous and full of flowers. Even healthy clumps benefit from division every 3-4 years to prevent overcrowding and maintain strong blooming performance.
13. Wisteria Requires Control Measures
Spring is the perfect time to tame that vigorous wisteria. Cut back all the whippy side shoots to about 6 inches from the main branches. This concentrates the plant’s energy into flower production rather than rampant growth.
Remove any suckers emerging from the base of the plant as these steal energy from the main vine. Without regular pruning, wisteria quickly becomes a tangled mess that produces few flowers. For established plants, a second pruning in late summer helps control size and improves flowering for next year.
14. New England Asters Need a Mid-Spring Chop
These late-summer bloomers thrive with a bit of tough love early in the season. In mid to late spring, cut back New England asters (and other tall asters) by about one-third to half their height. This process, known as “Chelsea chopping,” delays flowering slightly but results in fuller, bushier plants covered in more blooms.
Without pruning, asters can grow leggy and flop over just as they start blooming. The mid-spring trim keeps them compact and helps them support their own weight when in full flower. You can also stagger pruning on different sections to extend the bloom season and create a more natural look.
15. DON’T Prune Spring-Flowering Shrubs Yet
Hold those pruners! Forsythia, lilac, rhododendron, and azalea all bloom on old wood – meaning they’ve already formed their flower buds last year. Pruning now will remove this year’s floral display before you get to enjoy it.
The right time to prune these spring beauties is immediately after they finish flowering. This gives them enough time to set new buds for next year before winter. If you absolutely must control their size now, be very selective and understand you’re sacrificing some of this year’s blooms.
16. Leave Those Early Bloomers Alone
Early-flowering perennials like bleeding heart, primrose, and pulmonaria should not be pruned in spring. These woodland plants emerge early, bloom quickly, and often go dormant in summer heat. Cutting them back now removes their brief but beautiful floral display.
Instead, tidy up any winter-damaged foliage and let them do their thing. If needed, these plants can be divided after flowering but before summer dormancy. Their natural cycle includes early blooming followed by gradual foliage decline as temperatures rise – this is normal, not a sign of problems.
17. Skip Pruning Young Fruit Trees
Recently planted fruit trees (under 3 years old) need minimal pruning in spring. Their energy should be focused on establishing strong root systems rather than recovering from heavy pruning. Remove only broken, diseased, or crossing branches.
Young trees need their leaves to produce energy for root development. Excessive early pruning slows growth and delays fruit production. Formative pruning is important, but should be done gradually over several years. Wait until the tree is well-established before implementing more significant structural pruning.
18. Avoid Cutting Back Native Grasses Too Early
Native grasses like switchgrass and little bluestem provide crucial winter habitat for beneficial insects. Wait until daytime temperatures consistently reach 50°F before cutting these back. Early pruning removes overwintering sites for pollinators before they’ve emerged.
When you do prune, leave 8-10 inches of the previous season’s growth rather than cutting to the ground. This stubble provides continued habitat for beneficial insects while allowing new growth to emerge. Many butterfly and bee species depend on these undisturbed areas to complete their lifecycle.