How to Prune Native Plants (without killing them)

General Pruning Tips

If you design the planting appropriately pruning should only be part of the late summer and late winter clean up. You shouldn't need to prune the plant because it is too large for the space (instead replace it with a lower growing plant). Plant the appropriate-sized plant for the area. You can espalier some species, but others are very susceptible to stem borers and sun burn. The worst genus to use for espalier is Ceanothus, the best are some of the deciduous species, Clematis, Lonicera, Ribes, Prunus and the evergreen Rhus, Quercus, and Prunus.

Prune to clean up.(Notice the period.) If the plant goes summer deciduous or experiences frost burn, prune. Don't fertilize or water, but do prune. Pruning is not a happy time around here. Celeste, my wife, is a tree hugger, and I have been accused many times of mass butchery. Prune a little more than just the dead portions, up to 30% of the plant/year is Ok. (We feel that palms may be pruned to the ground every year until they don't come back.) Some of the genera like Quercus, Umbellularia, and Arctostaphylos are slow to recover from a bad hair cut.

Pretend you're a deer, elk or if you're man enough, a moose, and 'eat' off the parts of the plant that bug you. I personally prefer the chain saw. (We have very aggressive deer.) The prunings go into a driveway and are picked up with one of the tractors. Prunings can be chipped (if you have a very big chipper or are retired), burned (during a burning period, and then placed where you want a lot of fertility, like a vegetable garden, do NOT put pruning ashes on natives), stacked for quail cover well away from a structure, or hauled to a land fill to fill it up.

Prune when nature tells you to prune; late summer (if you've lived with deer, you've seen their 'pruning') and late winter after the frosts have beat up all that they can. Pruning late in fall will push new growth that can't harden off, and pruning in winter will do the same thing. Most natives have two 'dormant' periods (rather slow downs than true dormancy), summer and again in mid-winter. They will push new growth in early winter, shut down, harden off and wait until their next push in spring. Most natives (not all) grow in small pulses, not fast blow- away growth. Some genera like Ceanothus grow very fast for 2-3 years, then slowly in small pulses.

If you live along the coast your pruning window is much wider. If you're in the desert the spring pruning should be earlier. If you live in the mountains (3000 ft.+) forget the fall pruning and only prune in early spring.

Sometimes you forget a plant. It looks so good for years, then it doesn't. That's what happened on this Salvia I hard pruned. After 20-30 years it suddenly looked old. When you hack them this hard they sometimes do not come back, but many, if not most, will and look better. Crown sprotters will usually come back, as long as it's only done every 20-30 years. Some California natives are not crown sprouters and will not come back. Some of the tree Manzanitas and Ceanothus have this trait.

The Island Mountain Mahogany is about twenty years old. No pruning and you can see the form. - grid24_12

Ceanothus gloriosus exaltatus, Emily Brown with Eve Case Coffeeberry behind it. - grid24_12

An old picture of an old Purple Sage, Salvia leucophylla, maybe 2000 - grid24_12

A thirty year old Salvia leucophylla Purple Sage that looks like a face lift is needed.

This is what the 30 year old purple sage looked like after pruning. Maintaining something every 30 years? An the garden looks good? - grid24_12

A thirty year old Salvia leucophylla Purple Sage that has been pruned.

A couple of seasons after pruning the Purple Sage is back in full shape. - grid24_12

The same Purple Sage two years later.

Plant Specific Pruning Tips

Genus	Common Name	When To Prune	How To Prune	Notes
Abies	Fir	spring	dead material only
Abronia	Sand verbena	winter	dead material only	seasonal dieback common
Acacia	Cat Claw, Wait-a-minute	late winter	very carefully, can handle at lot	A. Greggii is like pruning a wildcat
Acer	Maple	late summer	little but correct bad structure
Acer negundo	Box Elder	Christmas	work to open it up, cleanup
Achillea	Yarrow	winter	mow it	goes winter deciduous
Adenostoma	Chamise	late summer	can handle topiary
Adenostoma	Red Shanks	late summer	prune up and work with it, nice	will sucker at cut, prune carefully
Adiantum	Maidenhair	early spring	clean up
Aesculus	Buckeye	summer	open up and clean up
Agastache	Horse Mint	early spring	clean up	shuts down in late summer
Agave	Agave	summer	control and clean up
Agoseris		late summer	dead head
Alnus	Alder	Christmas	remove suckers or top according to desired size
Ambrosia		spring	cleanup
Amorpha	Indigo Bush	late summer	cleanup
Anemopsis	Yerba Mansa	Christmas	mow	goes winter deciduous
Antirrhinum	Snapdragon	late sum/spring	cleanup
Aquilegia	Columbine	late sum/spring	cleanup
Arbutus	Madrone	late summer	VERY little, cleanup
Arctostaphylos	Manzanita	late summer	VERY little, cleanup
Aristolochia	Dutchman's	Christmas	manage/control the vines	goes winter deciduous
Arnica	Frog Flower	early spring	dead head
Artemisia	Sage brush	late summer	handles pruning well
Asarum	Wild Ginger	late summer	can mow or remove foliage
Asclepias	Monarch	early spring	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Aster		early spring	remove dead material if needed
Atriplex	Saltbush	early spring	remove dead material if needed	bambi loves and will prune for you
Baccharis		early spring	remove dead material if needed	can handle full butchering
Beloperone	Chuparosa	early spring	remove dead material if needed
Betula	Birch	Christmas	remove suckers to make tree, top to make shrub	goes winter deciduous
Bouteloua	Blue Gramma	Christmas	mow
Brickellia		early spring	remove dead material if needed
Brodiaea	Wild Hyacinth	na	na	disappears in summer
Calochortus	Mariposa Lilly($2/small bulb)	na	na	disappears in summer
Calycanthus	Spice Bush	Christmas	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Camassia	Camas	na	na	disappears in summer
Camissonia	Beach Evening Primrose	early spring	remove dead material if needed
Campanula	California	late summer	remove dead material if needed	disappears in summer
Carex	Sedge	late summer	mow if needed
Carpenteria	Bush Anemone	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Castilleja	Indian Paint	early summer	remove dead material if needed
Ceanothus	Mtn. Lilac	late summer	remove dead material if needed, prune to control
Cephalanthus	Button willow	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Cercidium	Palo Verde	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Cercis	Redbud	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Cercocarpus	Mountain Mahogany	late summer	remove dead material if needed	deer love
Chilopsis	Desert Willow	Christmas	prune to shape	goes winter deciduous
Chlorogalum		late summer	dead head	goes summer deciduous
Chrysothamnus		early spring	dead head
Cirsium		late summer	dead head
Clematis		early spring	dead head, control	goes winter deciduous
Cneoridium		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Comarostaphylis		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Cornus	Dogwood	late summer	remove dead material if needed, can be heavily pruned	goes winter deciduous
Corylus	Hazelnut	Christmas	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Cowania	Cliff Rose	early spring	remove dead material if needed
Cratagus	Hawthorn	Christmas	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Crossosoma		early spring	remove dead material if needed
Cupressus	Cypress	late summer	top, remove dead material if needed
Delphinium		late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Deschampsia		winter	mow
Diplacus	Monkey Flower	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Dryopteris	Wood Fern	spring	remove dead material if needed
Dudleya	Liveforever	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Elocharis	Creeping Spike Rush	winter	mow	goes winter deciduous
Elymus	Wildrye	late summer	remove dead material if needed, smaller forms can be mowed
Encelia	Bush sunflower	early spring	remove dead material if needed
Epipactis		winter	mow	goes summer deciduous
Equisetum	Dwarf	winter	mow	goes winter deciduous
Ericameria	Parish's	winter	remove dead material if needed
Erigeron	Fleabane	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Eriodictyon	Yerba Santa	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Eriogonum	Buckwheat	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Eriophyllum		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Erysimum		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Eschscholzia	California	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Fallugia	Apache Plume	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Forestiera	Desert Olive	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Fragaria	Strawberry	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Frankenia		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Fraxinus	Ash	December	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Fremontia	Flannel Bush	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Galvezia		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Garrya	Silk Tassal	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Gaultheria	Salal	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Geranium	Calif. Geranium	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Grindella		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Haplopappus	Golden Bush	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Helenium	Owlsclaws	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Heleocharis	Spike Rush	winter	mow	goes winter deciduous
Helianthemum	Sun Rose	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Helianthus	Sunflower	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Heteromeles	Toyon	spring	remove dead material if needed
Heuchera	Alum Root	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Holodiscus	Cream Bush	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Hordeum	California	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Horkellia	Star Turf	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Hyptis	Desert	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Iris		late summer	remove dead material if needed	looks like hell in summer
Isomeris	Bladder Bod	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Iva	Hayes iva	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Jamesia	Cliffbush	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Juglans		December	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Juncus	Rush	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Juniperus		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Keckiella	Bush Penstemon	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Larrea	Creosote Bush	late summer	can be hedged
Lathyrus		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Lepechinia		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Lepidium	Desert Alyssum	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Leptodactylon	Prickly Phlox	summer	remove dead material if needed
Leymus		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Libocedrus	Incense Cedar	summer	remove dead material if needed
Lilium	Lily	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Lithocarpus	Tanbark Oak	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Lobelia		late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Lonicera	Honeysuckle	late summer	control, remove dead material if needed
Lotus	Deerweed	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Ludwigia	Water Primrose	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Lupinus	Silver Bush	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Lyonothamnus	Catalina Ironwood	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Mahonia	Oregon Grape	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Malacothamnus	Bush Mallow	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Maurandya	Snapdragon	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Melica		summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Mentha	Mint	winter	mow if necessary
Mimulus	Seep Flower	late summer	remove dead material if needed, mow if you need to	goes winter deciduous
Mirabilis	Four-O'clock	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Monardella	Mint Bush	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Muhlenbergia	Deer Grass	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Myrica	Wax Myrtle	late summer	hedge if needed
Oemleria	Oso Berry	early winter	remove dead material if needed
Oenothera	Evening	late summer	mow if needed
Opuntia	Beavertail	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Pellaea	Coffee Fern	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Penstemon		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Petrophytum	Rock Spiraea	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Phacelia		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Philadelphus	Wild Mock Orange	winter	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Physocarpus	Ninebark	winter	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Pinus	Pine	all year	remove dead material if needed, most pines don''t grow back, clean tools with disinfectant before using
Platanus	California	winter	remove dead material if needed, if much dead, look for over or under watering	goes winter deciduous
Pluchea	Arrow Weed	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Poa	Pine bluegrass		mow if needed
Polemonium	Western Sky		remove dead material if needed
Populus	Cottonwood		prune up	goes winter deciduous
Potentilla	Cinquefoil		remove dead material if needed
Prunus			remove dead material if needed
Pseudotsuga			remove dead material if needed
Psoralea	Indian Hemp		remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Purshia	Antelope		remove dead material if needed
Quercus	Oak		remove dead material if needed	if much dieback, look at horticulture
Rhamnus			remove dead material if needed	if much dieback, look at horticulture
Rhus			remove dead material if needed	if much dieback, look at horticulture
Ribes	Currant/Gooseberry		remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Romneya
Rosa	Rose		remove dead material if needed, control suckers	goes winter deciduous
Rubus	Thimbleberry		remove dead material if needed, control suckers
Salix	Willow		remove dead material if needed, control suckers	goes winter deciduous
Salvia	Sage		remove dead material if needed
Sambucus	Blue Elderberry		remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Sarcostemma	Hartweg's		remove dead material if needed
Satureja			remove dead material if needed
Scirpus	Bull Tule		control	goes winter deciduous
Scrophularia			remove dead material if needed
Scutellaria			remove dead material if needed	ok to mow in late summer
Sedum	Stonecrop		remove dead material if needed
Senecio			remove dead material if needed, control
Shepherdia	Silver		remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Sidalcea	Checker Mallow		remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Sisyrinchium	Eyed Grass	late summer	remove dead material if needed	ok to mow in late summer
Solanum	Night Shade		remove dead material if needed
Solidago	Golden Rod		remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Sphaeralcea	Desert Mallow		remove dead material if needed
Spiraea	Mountain		remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Sporobolus	Alkali Sacaton	late summer	remove dead material if needed	ok to mow in late summer
Stachys	White Hedge	late summer	remove dead material if needed	ok to mow in late summer
Stanleya	Prince's Plume	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Stipa		late summer	ok to mow in late summer	goes summer deciduous
Styrax		late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Suaeda	Sea-Blite
Symphoricarpos		late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Tellima	Fringcup	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Thalictrum	Meadow Rue	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Thuja	Canoe-Cedar	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Trichostema	Woolly Blue-	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Triteleia?	Golden		remove dead material if needed
Umbellularia	Bay Laurel	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Vaccinium		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Vancouveria	Inside-Out	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Verbena	Pink Verbena	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Viola	Violet	late summer	remove dead material if needed	disappears
Vitis		winter	remove dead material if needed	goes winter deciduous
Wyethia	Narrowleaf Mule Ears	late summer	remove dead material if needed	goes summer deciduous
Xylococcus		late summer	remove dead material if needed
Xylorhiza	Orcutt's Aster	late summer	remove dead material if needed
Yucca		na	remove dead material if needed	if you have to prune, its dead
Zauschneria	California fuchsia	December	remove dead material if needed	mow or hard prune