Some hydrangea species, known as “old wood,” bloom on growth from the previous year. The flower buds that will bloom in the upcoming summer are present in this old wood. We would have a plant without flowers this year if we pruned in the winter or spring because we would lose the flower buds. As a result, many cultivars undergo pruning following summer blooming.
The young growth that appears in the springtime bears flower buds when hydrangeas that bloom on new wood are present. These plants can be clipped in late winter or early spring before new growth starts because the buds are not present during the winter months.
Old Wood Hydrangea: What does it mean?
Identifying whether hydrangeas will bloom on old wood or fresh wood is the first step in figuring out the optimal time to prune them. Here is a list of each definition; we explain which is which below. (We assure you that this is not as horticulturally nerdy as it sounds.)
“Typically pruned after flowering or early fall to promote new flower buds on old stems, old wood refers to buds that form for next year’s bloom at the end of the current growing season on stems created during the previous summer.
“Stems that have grown during the current growing season are referred to as new wood. During the current growing season, buds begin to form on this new growth. In order to promote new stems, pruning is typically done in late winter or early spring.
Don’t worry if your time is off. These plants are tolerant. Without blooming for a season, you might still anticipate flowers the next year if you plan ahead.
Hydrangeas should be pruned at a 45-degree angle just above a blossom. Typically, a leaf or leaves are linked to the stem at this location.
What are Woody hydrangeas used for?
Hydrangeas are robust plants that need little maintenance from us and consistently produce jaw-dropping flowers. However, hydrangeas can occasionally turn woody and appear to have more dead wood than leaves and blooms. It can even appear that the base of the hydrangea is little more than a few sticks with very little green growth. What then should you do to fix a woody Hydrangea when this occurs?
To foster new growth and eliminate dead or dying stems, woody hydrangeas can be trimmed back.
Just be sure to prune during the appropriate season! This “woodiness” can occasionally be a result of damage from harsh winters, but it can also develop naturally as a Hydrangea ages. Thankfully, these tough plants may recover from a severe pruning and start producing lovely flowers again.
A word of caution: Keep in mind that all Hydrangeas appear dead throughout the winter before you go all Edward-Scissor-Hands on your plant. All that is left when the leaves wither away are few naked sticks. This is entirely normal, so don’t be alarmed. As you cannot tell if your Hydrangea has genuinely become too woody until spring or summer, when it begins to produce buds and blooms, you will need to wait a bit to get a good appraisal of your shrub.
What exactly does it mean for ancient wood to bloom?
The secret to success is timing the pruning of your plant. You’ll undoubtedly miss the plant’s flowers for that season if you cut a flowering shrub at the wrong time of year. Even if the plant will return and bloom once more the next year, this is not the end of the world. The main reason why most people avoid pruning their shrubs is probably the possibility of missing out on a season’s worth of flowering. The good news is that trimming shrubs improperly nearly never results in plant damage.
If your shrub flowers on new wood or on old wood, you need to know when to prune it to avoid disrupting its blooming cycle. These two phrases are frequently used, however they are rarely clarified in clear language. This is what they signify:
When a plant flowers on fresh wood, it signifies that it does not produce bloom buds until after spring growth has started. The flower buds that will later bloom that year will be developed by the shrub’s new growth—or rather, the new wood—that season. Usually, flowers appear later in the growing season on plants that flower on new wood. Roses, Rose of Sharon, Panicle Hydrangea, and Butterfly Bush are a few examples of plants that flower on new wood (see photo “Miss Molly” at left).
When a plant grows on old wood, it is forming the flower buds for the upcoming year’s blossoms now. On the old wood from last year’s growth, the buds are carried through the winter. These plants start developing the flower buds for the following year as soon as they finish blooming. Typically, plants that bloom on old wood do so early in the growing season. One extremely significant exception to this rule, though, is the bigleaf hydrangea found in the Cityline or Let’s Dance series. On aged wood, they bloom from mid to late summer. Forsythia, lilac, and weigela are a few further examples of plants that bloom on ancient wood (picture Show Off, below right).
The majority of your pruning should be done in the spring, but which part of spring? Early in the spring, while new growth is starting, you can prune plants that flower on fresh wood. They have plenty of time to recover from pruning while still producing flower buds that will blossom in that season as a result. This should be done after the stems have sprouted buds but before they enlarge. By pruning before the buds leaf out, you can identify where the healthy new growth is located and prevent the plant from wasting energy on buds that you will eventually have to remove.
After flowering is complete, plants that flower on old wood can be trimmed. The flower buds will be lost if you cut the plants before they bloom. They might not have enough time to produce flower buds for the following year if you wait too long after their blooming period is through.
Several reblooming plants are available from us, including the Bloom-A-Thon azalea, Sonic BloomTM weigela, and Bloomerang lilac. The optimum time to prune reblooming plants is right after their initial wave of bloom, which happens on the old wood. Because reblooming plants can flower on both old and new wood, this is the greatest time to prune them. This gives them plenty of time to put on new growth in preparation for their rebloom while also allowing you to enjoy their spring display. They only need a light trim to put on new growth after their initial bloom, but don’t worry if you fail to do it—you’ll still receive a fantastic second show!
You may always remove any dead or damaged wood from a shrub. Just make sure it is dead before you do it! It can be easy to believe a plant is dead or has to be pruned, especially in the early spring, but it’s best to put the pruners away and wait to see if any buds appear. Damaged wood can also be removed at any time, as well as growth that obstructs walkways or makes it difficult to get to a particular part of your yard. All of the other pruning recommendations are secondary to safety.
Keep in mind that trimming is not always necessary for shrubs to perform effectively and blossom. Skip the pruning if you’re unsure what to do or if the plant’s size and performance last year satisfied you.
How can I tell whether the wood my hydrangea is growing on is new or old?
Simply put, old wood is wood from the previous year. On stalks that have been part of the plant since the previous year, flower buds on hydrangeas that bloom on old wood are set in the late summer.
The mophead, bigleaf (macrophylla), lacecap, and oakleaf kinds of hydrangea bloom on ancient wood.
These gorgeous shrubs require very little pruning. If you must, though, knowing when and where to trim is crucial. That’s because the less flowers you have the following summer, the more old wood you take.
To keep your old wood hydrangeas healthy and vigorous, take the following three steps:
- Pruning flowering stems back to a pair of sound buds should be done as soon as possible after blooming, but no later than July.
- Remove weak or broken stems during the winter or early spring pruning. The oldest stalks should only be removed in thirds, cutting them to the ground.
- To maintain the shape of your shrubs and revitalize them, repeat the method each summer.
Should I prune my hydrangea’s dead wood?
Remove stems that are crossing or dead. Cut these stems just above the soil line. Keep in mind that old wood is where buds for blooms are generated, thus the more old wood you remove, the less blossoms will appear in the spring and summer. Remove up to one-third of the older living stems from the hydrangea each summer, cutting them all the way to the ground.
What does dead wood on a hydrangea look like?
Which wood in this picture is alive is clear thanks to spring. While the majority of the tips are dead and still naked, the live wood has pushed forth new leaves.
A: This previous summer, we planted some fresh hydrangeas, and they went half-dead before coming back in the fall. Some branches never produced new leaves. Are they deceased? When should I clip them, if so?
A: With fresh plants, that can occasionally happen. Coming out of the containers and into the open ground with frequently poor soil and more inconsistent care than the plants likely received at the nursery is a shock.
The last growing season’s hot, dry late summer wasn’t great for establishing newly planted plants.
The color and density of the wood will help you distinguish between live and dead hydrangea branches. In comparison to live wood, dead wood will appear more gray and be lighter and less dense.
Getting rid of any dead wood is no longer a concern. It won’t harm to leave all growth unchecked.
The emergence of leaf buds in the spring will make it extremely clear which wood is alive and which is dead.
Most years, by May, growth has resumed, and it is a good time to prune both dead wood and any dead tips (straight back to the ground if the entire shoot is dead).
You definitely don’t want to prune live wood in the spring if these bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are any indication.
Performing a general size-control whack-back in the spring will result in you losing all or most of your flowers because these hydrangeas bloom on buds that formed the previous season.
Severe winters can also damage those buds, which is why we’ve had two consecutive years with few hydrangea blooms after the previous two bitterly cold winters.
Readers should be aware that if you use one of our affiliate links to make a purchase, we might receive a commission.
How should a woody hydrangea be pruned?
In the late winter, early spring, or just above a big bud known as a heading cut, trim back stems. The flower heads of these plants have a conical form. I wait to prune these until late winter or spring because I advise leaving the dried, tan flower heads on the plant to add some winter beauty to your garden. Favorite panicle hydrangeas include:
- H. paniculata ‘Bulk’ PP16, 812, Quick Fire
- (H. paniculata ‘Limelight’)
- Berry White (H. paniculata ‘Renba’ PP28, 509) first editions
Why are the branches on my hydrangeas going brown?
- Drought, excessive wind, and too much sun can cause the leaves and blooms of hydrangeas to turn brown. The best conditions for hydrangea growth are protection from wind, wet soil, and dappled sunlight. The hydrangea blooms and leaves wilt and become brown because there is insufficient moisture around the roots.
- When hydrangeas are planted in small pots, the leaves and blossoms become brown because the roots can’t properly absorb moisture from the soil in the smaller pots. Because of their large root systems, hydrangeas need constant watering to keep their leaves and petals from turning brown.
- The hydrangea’s leaf edges get brown and crispy when fertilizer is applied excessively or too frequently. Applying a delayed release fertilizer at the beginning of spring will help prevent the bronzing of the leaf margins since hydrangea roots are extremely sensitive to excess fertilizer.
- The flower buds and newly developing foliage development of hydrangeas can become dark and mushy in the Spring due to a late frost. The young growth is delicate and more susceptible to damage from frost. Cut back any hydrangea flower buds that are brown and mushy because they won’t bloom.
- Hydrangea leaf spot fungus, which results in brown patches on the leaves, is typically brought on by overwatering. A hydrangea with dark spots and fewer flowers has too much moisture on its leaves, which encourages the growth of a fungus.
What occurs if hydrangeas are not pruned?
If and when you prune is the key to happy, healthy hydrangea flowers. Of course, fertilizing and offering the ideal environment have a lot to recommend them. However, if you don’t prune properly, your efforts will be in vain. Deadheading is not the same as trimming. Pruning refers to more drastic cutting to preserve shape or remove dead growth. However, feel free to discard spent blossoms or cut fresh ones to use in arrangements.
Hydrangeas can bloom on either fresh wood or old wood, depending on the species. The wood from which they blossom determines whether and when to prune.
Old wood-blooming hydrangeas do not require pruning and benefit from it. They’ll blossom more abundantly the next season if you leave them alone. But feel free to deadhead or gently thin. Just keep in mind that while new growth may appear, it won’t bloom until the following season. In our region, four different species blossom on aged wood. Additionally, they are not limited to the hues displayed here.
Climb using suckers. On your wall or trellis, resist the desire to remove the dormant growth.
The flower heads are more conical in appearance, and the leaves are large and resemble oak leaves. It’s a pleasant surprise for a hydrangea when its leaves turn reddish-orange in the fall.
They are very comparable to lacecap types, but smaller and with more compact leaves.
Pruning should be done in late winter or early spring on hydrangeas that bloom on new wood. Trim back to two feet to prune to shape. The next season’s blossoms are produced by strong, fresh growth that is encouraged by trimming. In our region, there are two types that bloom on fresh wood. They are also not restricted to the colors displayed.
Oakleaf variants are not included in cone-shaped blooms. Keep the blooms on throughout the winter to provide interest; even dried out, they are quite lovely.
regarded as a wild kind. They often have smaller blooms and leaves than Bigleaf variants and are completely white. They enjoy full sun and can grow very tall.
Knowing whether or when to prune now will help you avoid the disappointment of a hydrangea that doesn’t blossom. Don’t forget that a robust shrub will produce more gorgeous blossoms if it has well-draining soil and good organic fertilizer. Come on in, and we’ll show you where to go to develop your green thumb.