How Do You Prune Spirea Shrubs?
Spirea is a heavily scented, spring blooming shrub that thrives in full sun. This picture shows spirea cascading over an azalea. Sometimes spelled Spiraea, the bush is fast growing and can reach heights of 8-10 feet. Pruning is a necessity. The best time to prune an established spirea is in late spring, after the blooms have faded. Following are different concepts on how to prune spirea. This spirea has a nice shape if it were part of hedge. However, it is too dense for a shrub in amongst other greenery (there are trees and azaleas in the immediate area). This spirea is about five tall. The spirea from Step 1 has been trimmed back by cutting branches greater than the diameter of a pencil down to about six inches from the ground. In addition, the top was trimmed back a foot. The results are a wispy appearance that makes the spirea compliment the area, not overpower it. This pruning was completed using a hand-held pruner. Here’s another example of a spirea that would do well if it were p
