Many shrubs can be easily renewed with rejuvenation pruning. The shrub is cut entirely to the ground in the early spring before growth starts. The shrub regrows from roots, giving a compact, youthful plant with maximum bloom. Rejuvenation can have a major effect on size. This method is preferred for many flowering shrubs because it is quick and easy with great results. Initial rejuvenation should be followed by thinning new canes to several strong ones over the next several years. Remove weak cane growth at the base (ground level).

Rejuvenation is typically done no more than every three to five years when a shrub beginsto look gangly and woody. It works very well on multi-stemmed, twiggy-type shrubs such as spirea, Caryopteris (blue mist spirea), Potentilla, red-twig dogwood, sumac (Rhus spp.), and hydrangea. (Note: Caryopteris flowers best if renewed each spring.) Also use this method to rejuvenate lilac, privets (Ligustrum spp.), barberry (Berberis spp.), forsythia, flowering quince, honeysuckle, mockorange, flowering weigela, beautybush, many viburnums, elderberry (Sambucus spp.), and others.

Limitations

• Spring-flowering shrubs will not bloom the year of rejuvenation.  
• On shrubs with a rock and weed fabric mulch, rejuvenation may not be successful due to decreased root vigor and interference of the mulch with growth from the base.


• Extremely overgrown shrubs with large woody bases may not respond well to rejuvenation pruning.


• Shrubs with a lot of dead branches will not respond well to rejuvenation pruning. As a rule of thumb, if more than one-third of the branches are woody, without healthy foliage, the shrub will probably not respond.


• Some shrubs are structurally more like small trees with only one or a few primary trunks. They include several Viburnum and Euonymus species, and shrubby forms of Rhamnus (buckthorn). Don’t cut these shrubs to the ground. Prune by thinning branches back to a side branch.


• Lilac cultivars budded onto common lilac rootstocks should not be cut to the ground. Regrowth will be common lilac rather than the selected cultivar.