How to Prune Spirea Shrubs

Spirea is a heavily scented, spring blooming shrub that thrives in full sun. This picture shows spirea cascading over an azalea. Sometimes spelled Spiraea, the bush is fast growing and can reach heights of 8-10 feet. Pruning is a necessity. The best time to prune an established spirea is in late spring, after the blooms have faded. Following are different concepts on how to prune spirea.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gloves
• Pruners
• Loppers

1. 
   Example 1

   This spirea has a nice shape if it were part of hedge. However, it is too dense for a shrub in amongst other greenery (there are trees and azaleas in the immediate area). This spirea is about five tall.

2. 
   Ex. 1 Wispy

   The spirea from Step 1 has been trimmed back by cutting branches greater than the diameter of a pencil down to about six inches from the ground. In addition, the top was trimmed back a foot. The results are a wispy appearance that makes the spirea compliment the area, not overpower it. This pruning was completed using a hand-held pruner.

3. 
   Example 2

   Here’s another example of a spirea that would do well if it were part of a hedge. As a solitaire shrub with fading bulb-based flowers at its base, it could use some thinning.

4. 
   Ex. 2 Mushroom Shape

   In this case, the spirea depicted in Step 3 is now shown with its based trimmed to expose the wood. In addition, the top was cut back a foot and thick branches were cut to about six inches above ground. Next spring when the bulbs at its base bloom, they will not only be easier to see, they will have a perfect backdrop. This pruning was completed using a hand-held pruner.

5. 
   Example 3

   The small green leaves of the spirea, with its arching branches, makes it a suitable balance for a perennial flower garden as shown in this image. This shrub, however, has been left to grow too many years without a dramatic pruning. When deciding how much to prune back, consider the location of the shrub. In this case, there’s not only a fence, but on the other side of the fence is lovely Japanese maple. The base of this spirea is more than two feet in diameter, making it too large for the location.

6. 
   Ex. 3 Pruned to Ground

   The best solution is to cut this entire spirea down to about six inches above ground using loppers. That makes the Japanese maple more visible while at the same time improving the view of the perennial garden. This spirea will grow back and kept petite, it will do quite well at this location.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to pickup all the trimmings of the spirea. Spirea root easily and left unchecked, they could take over your garden area.

Resources

• How to Save this Article to Your Desktop
• How to Clean Grass Shears With Kitchen Products

[MidniteWriter]

on 7/23/2009 Spirea shrubs sound beautiful. Thanks for the great tips! :)

[jenng]

on 7/15/2009 Great article on How to Prune Spirea Shrubs 5*

[beckers]

on 4/28/2009 Question to anyone out there. It is late April and my spirea's leaves have come out a fantastic red-gold colour. But I am puzzled by the dead-looking brown "blooms" which are at the end of every branch. These "blooms" are brown and have the appearance of dried flowers. They are abundant as they are pretty much on every branch. Should I cut them off or leave it?

[debbie36]

on 4/16/2009 Thanks for this helpful article on how to prune a spirea. I was just about to head to the garden to lop it back, but with your advice I'll wait until after the Spring blooms. Thank you :)