When & How Do You Prune a Burning Bush?

Use sharp loppers or pruners to trim back Burning bush.

Burning bush, also known as Euonymus, makes a stunning and colorful addition to any landscape or garden. Although quick growing and easy to maintain, Burning bush needs regular care to keep it in good health. Pruning is essential for promoting the growth of vibrant foliage, maintaining the shape of the shrub and preventing the Burning bush from overgrowing and dominating other plants.

Timing

Pruning your Burning bush in early spring, before new leaves start to shoot from the shrub's stems and branches, will help to rejuvenate the plant and promote robust growth through the spring and summer. You can also prune the Burning bush to shape the shrub in fall and while it is dormant in the winter.

Tools

Use sharp pruning shears or hedge clippers to prune and trim back the Burning bush. For larger, thicker stems and branches, use a pruning saw or loppers. Avoid crushing woody stems and branches by sharpening the pruning tool. Hone the tool blade by sharpening it on a whetstone before pruning. Disinfect pruning tools with rubbing alcohol after pruning away damaged or diseased wood. This prevents the spread of infection to the healthy parts of the shrub.

Technique

Trim back the Burning bush by about one-third each year to maintain the shape of the plant and to keep it healthy. To rejuvenate an old or messy Burning bush shrub, prune it back severely to promote new growth. Cut most of the bush plant away, leaving only about 1 to 3 inches protruding above the ground. This can seem drastic, but the Burning bush will respond well to the severe prune, growing back quickly and vigorously through the spring and summer.

Shaping

The shape you choose will depend on whether the Burning bush is part of a hedge or used as an ornamental shrub. Use hedge clippers to trim the bush to the preferred shape, which may be rounded or tapered. You can prune the Burning bush into almost any shape, from cubes to globes and cones. Always slightly narrow the top of the shrub to allow more light to reach leaves at the bottom of the bush. Stand back from the Burnish bush occasionally to check the shape of the shrub as you prune it.

References

• Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services: How to Prune Burning Bush
• Backyard Landscaping Ideas: How to Prune Burning Bush Shrubs
• University of Tennessee Extension; Best Landscape Practices For Pruning Landscape Trees, Shrubs And Groundcovers; Donna C. Fare; 2008

Resources

• University of Minnesota Extension: Pruning Trees and Shrubs; Mike Zins and Deborah Brow; 2002