Some homeowners are very reluctant to aggressively prune a shrub or tree, but rest assured.

Sep 09, Cathy, Mockorange is a woody shrub a lot like forsythia. During the winter you can cut them back really hard like I did here with the Sandcherry.

See that post on this site about trimming Purple Sandcherry. Most species of butterfly bush, or Buddleia, should be pruned according to the requirements of Buddleia davidii, or orange-eye butterfly bush. The Southern Living Garden Book instructs gardeners to"cut back plants heavily (nearly to the ground) in late winter.

Aug 17, The best time to cut these plants is during the winter months, while they are inactive. Routine pruning in winter encourages vigorous plants with new growth, blooming flowers, healthier foliage, and immunity from diseases.

If you want to control the growth you will have to do pruning more often as the boxwood growths.

In cutting back plants, it is essential to cut. Jun 07, Cutting Back Butterfly Bush For Winter. Most butterfly bushes lose their leaves in late fall, and the roots remain viable underground while the plant winters over.

That means in most growing zones, there is no need to prune your butterfly bush before winter. In fact, pruning too late in fall could leave it more susceptible to damage.

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Aug 05, The 1/3 rule can be applied to most shrubs and small ornamental trees, but for larger shade trees, pruning should be limited to no more than 1/4 of the total branches. Shade trees, too, will be stimulated into new growth by assertive pruning, but they do not require the same vigorous pruning that multi-stemmed shrubs do.