Plant Amnesty: Pruning Tree-Likes

Front 1

Deciduous Azaleas

Back 1

Deciduous Shrub

Average height <5'

Light: sun to part shade

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts.

Never remove more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year. Can also be renovated like a Cane Grower.

Front 2

Elderberry

Back 2

Deciduous Shrub

Average height <10' to >15'

Light: sun to part shade

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Can remove up to 1/3 total leaf surface in one year. Can also be pruned as a Cane Grower. Sometimes coppiced.

Front 3

Enkianthus

Back 3

Deciduous Shrub

Average height <10' to >12'

Light: sun to part shade

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year. Do not remove upright shoots.

Front 4

Huckleberries

Back 4

Deciduous or Evergreen Shrub

Average height <4' to <6'

Light: sun to shade

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year. Do not remove upright shoots.

Front 5

Kalmia (Mountain Laurel)

Back 5

Evergreen Shrub

Average height <6'

Light: part shade

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year. Prune lightly or deadwood only.

Front 6

Lilac

Back 6

Deciduous shrub

Average height >8'

Light: sun to part shade

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year. Also can be pruned as a Cane Grower. Removing Ground suckers is futile.

Front 7

Manzanita

Back 7

Evergreen shrub

Average height <4' to <5'

Light: sun

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/16 total leaf surface in one year. Deadwood for air circulation to avoid diseases.

Front 8

Pieris (Andromeda)

Back 8

Evergreen shrub

Average height <8'

Light: part shade to sun

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/3 total leaf surface in one year. Radical renovation acceptable. Can be arborized into a small tree to highlight the nice branch structure.

Front 9

Rhodendron spp.

Back 9

Evergreen shrub

Average height <6' to <10'

Light: part sun to part shade

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Size reduction difficult. Cut out deadwood. Very mature Rhodendron shrubs can be limbed-up to 1/3 height as needed. General thinning no more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year. Many can be radically renovated.

Front 10

Spindletree

Back 10

Deciduous shrub

Average height <8' to <10'

Light: part sun to full sun

Habit: Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year.

Front 11

Leatherleaf Viburnum

Back 11

Evergreen Shrub

Average height <12' to <15'

Light: sun to shade

Habit: Large Tree-Likes, Thin-out, many small cuts. Never remove more than 1/8 total leaf surface in one year. Can be radically renovated. Watersprouts easily. Shape and prune lightly.

Front 12

Double-file Viburnum

Back 12

Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub
Average height <6' to <10'
Light: sun to part shade

Habit: Tree-Like. Prune or thin lightly. No size reduction or width reduction. Cut only a few unruly branches / interfering branches.

Front 13

Cherry

Back 13

Broadleaf Deciduous Flowering Tree

Average height <20'

Light: sun

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! Prune to the branch collar, prune only branches with diameter of 2" or less. No size or width reduction. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage.

Front 14

Cotoneaster spp.

Back 14

Broadleaf Evergreen and Semi-Deciduous Shrub

Average height <2" to <20'

Light: sun Arching branches/red-orange berries.

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! No heading cuts, Avoid size reduction. Thinning cuts as needed. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage.

Front 15

Crabapple

Back 15

Broadleaf Deciduous Flowering Tree

Average height <20'

Light: sun

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! Prune to the branch collar, prune only branches with diameter of 2" or less. No size or width reduction. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage.

Front 16

Dogwood

Back 16

Broadleaf Deciduous Flowering Tree

Average height <20'

Light: sunto part shade

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! Prune to the branch collar, prune only branches with diameter of 1" or less. No size or width reduction. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage.

Front 17

Hazelnut

Back 17

Broadleaf Deciduous Multi-stemmed Shrub

Average height <12'

Light: sun to part shade

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! Prune to the branch collar, prune only branches with diameter of 1/2" or less. No size or width reduction. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage. Volunteers easily by squirrels.

Front 18

witchhazel

Back 18

Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub

Average height <7'

Light: sun to part shade Distinct horizontal branch structure

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly!

No size or width reduction. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage. Slight over-pruning may cause water sprouts and suckers.

Front 19

Saucer Magnolia

Back 19

Broadleaf Deciduous Flowering Tree

Average height <20'

Light: sun

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! Prune to the branch collar, prune branches no greater than diameter of 2". No size or width reduction. Avoid taking off lower limbs. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage.

Front 20

Perotia (Ironwood)

Back 20

Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub/Tree

Average height <20'

Light: sun to part shade Great Fall Color!

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! Prune to the branch collar, prune only branches with diameter of less than 1" No size or width reduction. Prune minimally/Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage.

Front 21

Purple leaf Plum

Back 21

Broadleaf Deciduous Flowering Tree

Average height <20'

Light: sun

Water sprouts easily, therefore thin lightly! Prune to the branch collar, prune only branches with diameter of 1" or less. No size or width reduction. Pruning budget 1/16 of the foliage. Has unruly branch structure -- Do not fix.

Front 22

Camelia

Back 22

Evergreen Flowering Shrub or Tree

Average height <10' to <15'

Light: part shade or part sun

Takes heavy thinning or arborizing! Prune to the branch collar, hard to over-prune, can be espaliered, can be radically renovated. Poor transplant candidate.Pruning budget 1/3 of the foliage.

Front 23

English Laurel

Back 23

Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub/Tree

Average height fast growing <20'

Light: full sun to part shade

Takes heavy thinning or arborizing! Commonly used as a sheared hedge. Hard to over-prune, can be radically renovated. Pruning budget 1/2 of the foliage.

Front 24

Photinia

Back 24

Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub/Tree

Average height fast growing <15'

Light: full sun to part shade

Takes heavy thinning or arborizing! Commonly used as a sheared hedge. Hard to over-prune, can be radically renovated. Pruning budget 1/3 of the foliage.

Front 25

Pine

Back 25

Evergreen Needled Tree or Shrub

Average height <3' to ,80' varies by species

Light: sun

Remove deadwood first. Takes heavy thinning or arborizing! Prune up to 1/3 of the foliage. Size reduction is possible but may disfigure tree's natural shape. May thin to enhance branch structure.

Front 26

Strawberry Bush

Back 26

Evergreen Broadleaf Shrub/Tree

Average height <10'

Light: sun Often grown for the fall fruit

Looks great unpruned, or thin out to expose great branch structure. Can be arborized by removing up to 1/2 of the lower branches.

Front 27

Golden Thread Cypress

Back 27

Evergreen Needled Shrub

Average height <7'

Light: sun Interesting thread like foliage.

Thoroughly deadwood first. Light thinning can highlight branch structures. Good to arborize. New growth does NOT sprout from barren branches. Pruning budget 1/4 of foliage.

Front 28

Pyracantha

Back 28

Very thorny Evergreen Shrub

Average height <8'

Light: sun

Can be hedged, thinned, arborized, and espaliered. Can be kept smaller by grab and snip pruning. Can be renovated. Pruning budget 1/4 of the foliage annually.

Front 29

Yew

Back 29

Evergreen Needled Shrub/Tree

Average height: <1' to ,20' Size Varies by species

Light: Sun to part Shade

Can be headed, sheared, thinned, grab and snipped or radically renovated. Perfect for topiary. Pruning budget up to 1/2 of the foliage. Will regrow from bare wood. Slow growing.

Front 30

Privet

Back 30

Deciduous Broadleaf Shrub/Tree

Average height <5'

Light: sun

Commonly used as a sheared hedge. Can make a nice tree-like shrub. Can be headed, thinned or radically renovated. Pruning budget 1/4 of the foliage.

Front 31

Cedar tree spp.

Back 31

Evergreen Needled Tree

Average height <60' to <100'

Light: sun

Remove deadwood first. Remove lower limbs as needed. Do not top.

Front 32

Fir tree spp.

Back 32

Evergreen Needled Tree

Average height <80' to <125'

Light: sun

Remove deadwood first. Remove lower limbs as needed. Cut branch collars flush to trunk. Never top fir trees.

Front 33

Hollywood Juniper

Back 33

Evergreen Needled Tree

Average height <10 to <15'

Light: sun

Remove deadwood first. May thin to enhance branch structure. Prune up to 1/4 of the foliage. Can be espaliered. Reduction cut to natural looking side branches.

Front 34

Arborvatae; Pyramidalis

Back 34

Evergreen Needled Shrub/Tree
Average height <5' to <25'
Light: sun

Commonly used as a landscape border/fence or property line. DO NOT SHEER, rarely needs pruning except those branches that are damaged. Cleaning out dead needles and accumulated dead foliage improves any bald spots. Branches pulled out by storms (snow/ice) may be tied back in place. Moniter any ties to prevent girdling.

Front 35

Bird Nest Spruce

Back 35

Evergreen Needled Shrub

Average height <2' <3'

Light: sun

Never expose barren wood, don't sheer, size control difficult. Grab and snip lowest limbs to accomodate restricted areas. Remove accumulated dead needed. Remove tree leaves in fall or needles may die.

Front 36

Juniper, Pfitzer

Back 36

Evergreen Needled Shrub

Average height <4'

Light: sun

Don't sheer, remove dead wood, never expose barren wood. Grab and snip limbs by hiding cuts into shrub. Maintain wave like form. Malpruned shrubs repaired by extensive meticulous deadwooding.

Front 37

Juniper, Tam

Back 37

Evergreen Needled Shrub

Avgerage Height 1' x <3' (low and wide)

Light: sun

Don't sheer, remove dead wood, never expose barren wood. Size reduction difficult. Minor width reduction by undercutting lowest brances.