Late blooming Spirea japonica blooms on new wood. In the New York City area pruning early in the growing season will not destroy flower buds for that season. It is among a sizeable group of plants that should be pruned in late winter or early spring. Pruning will encourage the plant to generate healthy new growth and buds will form on these new branches

Here are other shrubs that fall in that same category and should be pruned in late winter or early spring. These are mostly plants that bloom later in the growing season:

Abelia (glossy abelia)

Callicarpa (beautyberry)

Clethra (summersweet)

Cornus sericea (red twig dogwood)

Cotinus (smoke tree)

Hibiscus (hibiscus, rose of Sharon)

Hydrangea aborescens (smooth hydrangea)

Hydrangea macrophylla light pruning only! (big leaf hydrangea - this plant flowers on year old wood and can be pruned after flowering, but the tips of the branches may die back in our climate, and a light pruning to a pair of healthy buds works best in early spring. Do not get carried away or you will remove too many flower buds.)

Hydrangea paniculata (PeeGee hydrangea)

Ilex (holly)

Lespedenza (bush clover)

Spirea japonica (summer blooming spirea)

Symphoricarpos (snowberry)

Vitex (chaste tree)

You can read more about pruning hydrangea in our Guide to Hydrangea.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service