7 Plants You Should Always Prune in April for Beautiful Blooms in Spring and Summer

April 1, 2025 admin No Comment 6 Views

Pruning is an essential part of gardening. Not only does this practice help improve the overall look of your yard, but it can also promote healthier growth. Knowing how to prune is one thing—different plants will require different approaches, but a great pair of pruning shears is a good place to start—but knowing when to prune is equally important.

Some flowers and fruits do best when pruned in early spring, while others should be left alone until later in the season. This timing is important, as cutting back at the wrong interval can damage your plants and produce.

To help you navigate this complex landscape, we spoke to expert gardeners about the best plants to prune in April. Follow their tips and tricks, and you’ll have a healthier, more lush yard in no time.

Panicle Hydrangea

Olga Seifutdinova / Getty Images

Panicle hydrangeas (hydrangea paniculata) produce beautiful cone-shaped flower clusters that add color and elegance to your yard. “They should be pruned in April because they bloom on new wood, so they produce flowers on the current season’s growth,” says Hannah Howland, perennials manager at Plants Unlimited. “Pruning in early spring, before new growth begins, encourages robust branching and abundant blooms in summer.”

Pruning these plants is a relatively straightforward process, too, and encourages better blooms and stronger stems. “Cut back last year’s growth to a pair of strong buds about 1/3 to 1/2 of the total height,” says Jan Johnsen, co-principal of Johnsen Landscapes & Pools. “This year’s flowers will appear on the new growth that follows.”

Zones: 3 to 8
Size: 6 to 8 feet tall x 6 to 8 feet wide
Care requirements: Partial sun, well-drained soil, regular watering

Roses

Courtesy of Heirloom Roses

Howland recommends pruning roses (rosa spp.) in April because it increases their number of flowers and helps to manage diseases and pests by improving air circulation.

“To prune, remove any dead, damaged, or diseased wood, cut back weak or crossing stems, and trim the remaining canes to an outward-facing bud,” she says. Due to their color and fragrance, these flowers “create a classic, elegant focal point in any outdoor space—making them a no-brainer,” she adds.

Zones: 5 to 8
Size: 5 feet tall x 6 feet wide
Care requirements: At least six hours of sun; slightly acidic, well-drained soil; regular watering, but be careful not to overwater

Fruit Trees

Caitlin Atkinson

It’s a good idea to prune some of your fruit trees in April, including apples, pears, cherries, apricots, and plums. “Pruning in early spring removes dead, diseased, or overcrowded branches, allowing sunlight to penetrate the canopy and fostering better fruit quality,” says Howland.

Getting rid of these branches will help the sun better penetrate the tree canopy, resulting in higher-quality fruits. As a bonus, these trees offer not just delicious harvests but also beautiful blooms.

Zones: Varies
Size: Varies
Care requirements: Varies

Blue Mist Shrub

Cristina Ionescu / Getty Images

Blue mist shrubs (Caryopteris) only grow to be about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, so they’re a perfect pick for smaller gardens. “It’s another of my sun-loving favorites,” adds Johnsen. “It’s a late season bloomer, flowering in late summer through fall. It adds cool blue and violet flowers to the garden right when many other plants are fading.”

Johnsen says it’s also relatively easy to prune. Since it blooms on new wood, cut it back to 12 inches tall—its foliage will grow back easily. “And it’s rabbit—and deer-resistant!” she adds. That’s a big plus for many gardeners.”

Zones: 6 to 9
Mature size: 2 to 4 feet tall and wide
Care requirements: Full sun; moist but well-drained soil

Grapes

Courtesy of Grapery

Who doesn’t love a bushel of juicy, delicious grapes? Howland recommends pruning these vines (Vitis vinifera) in April to promote healthy growth and maximize fruit production. “In early spring, when the plant is still dormant, remove any dead, diseased, or weak wood and cut back the previous year’s growth to a few healthy buds on each cane,” she says.

Howland also notes that, while these plants are great for their fruits, they’re wonderful for landscaping too. They can provide an elegant, decorative canopy for trellises and arbors.

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 6 to 10 feet tall, depending on the variety
Care requirements: Sandy, well-drained soil; regular watering and careful irrigation to avoid root rot

Smoke Bush

Iuliia Petrovskaia / Getty Images

“Smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria) should be pruned in April to encourage healthy growth and vibrant foliage, which is the plant’s primary ornamental feature,” says Howland.

Pruning is an easy enough process: Simply remove any dead or damaged branches, cut back the older stems to ground level, and shape the remaining growth. Howland prefers this plant for its “striking foliage in shades of purple, green, or gold—and its ability to serve as a stunning focal point in any landscape.”

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 10 to 15 feet tall x 10 to 15 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun, well-drained soil, regular watering

Shrubby Cinquefoil

Robert Meyers-Lussier / Getty Images

These beautiful flowers come in shades of yellow, pink, or orange, depending on the cultivar, and are drought-tolerant. “It’s one of my favorite compact shrubs due to its extreme hardiness, deer resistance, and long bloom time,” says Johnsen. “It blooms from late spring to frost, often providing three months of color.”

In order to keep its blooms healthy and beautiful, Johnsen recommends pruning shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) in April. “Take out a few of the oldest, thickest stems at the base to encourage new growth and better air circulation,” she adds. “This opens up the plant, rejuvenates it, and ensures more blooms.”