When and How to Prune Burning Bush Like a Pro

Burning bush is generally a low-maintenance deciduous landscape shrub but it can grow vigorously. If you’re contemplating when to prune a burning bush shrub to maintain its shape or rejuvenate a less-than-spectacular plant, you’ll need to consider the amount of pruning needed and follow the right protocol to trim the plant rather than stunt it.

When to Prune Burning Bush

The best time to prune burning bush depends on your objective. If you need to make a significant change to the size and shape of the bush, then choose late winter for a hard prune before any new growth appears.

In the event that more moderate pruning is all that’s needed to restore the desired shape of the shrub, then spring is an ideal time for pruning—right when the first signs of new growth appear.

You can also lightly prune burning bush to remove any dead branches or promote good airflow in the summer, but wait until the majority of new growth has appeared and keep your cutting to a minimum. 

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How to Prune Burning Bush

You need the right pruning tools to effectively shape a burning bush shrub. Use loppers for the main branches and a pair of smaller hand pruners to cut back twigs.

Wear a pair of garden gloves to protect your hands from cuts and scratches and disinfect your pruning tools before and after use with rubbing alcohol and a cloth or paper towel.

Pruning Burning Brush for Rejuvenation

If a burning bush shrub is very overgrown and neglected, a hard prune may be in order. Here’s how to do it:

1. Use the loppers to cut the larger stems of the bush and hand pruners for smaller, harder-to-access twigs.
2. Continue pruning until you’ve reduced the size of the shrub. The most aggressive approach is to cut all the stems of the bush back to a height of about 12 inches above the ground. A more conservative approach is to cut about one-third of the shrub’s stems to the ground.
3. In the case of a very hard prune, growth may be minimal in the following growing season but the shrub should flourish within a year. 

Pruning Burning Bush for Shape

When you need to reshape a burning bush or perhaps increase the clearance between your shrub and a nearby structure, follow these pruning instructions:

1. Identify which areas of the shrub need to be trimmed. Use the loppers to cut back larger stems by no more than ⅓ of their total length. 
2. Identify any branches that are dead or damaged and remove them using the loppers.
3. For smaller branches that are rubbing or impeding airflow, use hand pruners to trim them away.