When to Prune Trees

When to Prune Landscape Trees

Winter is a good time to prune most landscape trees. While pruning can be done at other times, avoid pruning during the spring growth period—from when buds start swelling to when young leaves reach full size. Budding and bloom times vary depending on the species.

In general, avoid pruning landscape trees in mid- to late summer (July through September) unless it’s very light. Summer pruning can trigger off-season growth, making trees like ficus vulnerable to freeze damage. It can also delay or shorten dormancy in deciduous trees and is especially harmful to eucalyptus and pines.

Fruit trees have different pruning needs than landscape trees, and each type should be researched individually.

Pruning Guidelines by Tree Type

Conifers

Prune these trees in November through February:

  • Cedars
  • Cypress
  • Pines
  • Redwoods
  • Eucalyptus

Deciduous Trees

Best pruned during their dormant period after leaf drop—usually November through January:

  • Ash (Fraxinus species)
  • Birch (Betula species)
  • Cape chestnut (Calodendrum capense)
  • Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
  • Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis)
  • Fruitless mulberry (Morus alba)
  • Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
  • Italian alder (Alnus cordata)
  • Maple
  • Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
  • Sycamore

Flowering Trees

If deciduous, prune when dormant. If evergreen or if they bloom while leafless, prune immediately after flowering:

  • Acacias (various species)
  • Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana)
  • Camellia Japonica
  • Cape chestnut (Calodendrum capense)
  • Cassia
  • Chinese flame tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata)
  • Coral trees (Erythrina species)
  • Crape myrtle
  • Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
  • Firewheel tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus)
  • Jacaranda
  • Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)
  • New Zealand Christmas tree
  • Purple orchid tree (Bauhinia variegata)
  • Saucer magnolia (Magnolia soulangiana)
  • Silk tree / Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin)
  • Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
  • Tipu tree (Tipuana tipu)

Broadleaf Evergreens

Best pruned from October to March or in May/June:

  • Bronze loquat (Eriobotrya deflexa)
  • Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)
  • Carrot wood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides)
  • Eucalyptus species
  • Kaffir plum (Harpephyllum caffrum)
  • Oaks, including:
    • Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)
    • Holly oak (Quercus ilex)
  • Olive (Olea europaea)
  • Ornamental figs (Ficus species)
  • Peppermint tree (Agonis flexuosa)
  • Pittosporum species, such as Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum)
  • Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.