Many plants out there benefit from pruning at different times of the year.

For example, while roses and hydrangeas love a good cold-weather trim, a plant like lavender will suffer from stunted growth if it’s pruned in similar low-temperature conditions. 

Being mindful of this reality, I’ve curated a list of 9 plants that will most certainly benefit from being pruned in March.

Pruning roses
Rose bush blooms
Roses

I know I included roses in my list of plants that should be pruned in February as well, but roses are just one of those plants that can be pruned anytime as long as the temperature is mild and not overly warm or chilly. 

Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush

By pruning a butterfly bush in March, you remove the dead and weak wood that would only limit airflow and prevent the bush from thriving during the growing season. As a result, you’ll get vigorous growth as well as more vibrant flowers. 

Honeysuckle

Early spring pruning for honeysuckle makes sense because it helps you relieve your plant of damaged growth, allowing it to focus on strong, healthy growth in the upcoming season. 

Magnolia tree
Magnolia tree

The biggest reason to prune magnolias in March is because you want to avoid the possibility of damaging flower buds. Apart from that, pruning will also encourage stronger, healthier growth throughout spring. 

Bigleaf Hydrangea
Bigleaf Hydrangea

Certain hydrangea varieties like Panicle, Bigleaf, and Smooth perform at their best when trimmed early in spring. Hydrangeas can grow quite dense and bushy, meaning a good trim will allow for better air circulation and promote healthier growth. 

Apple tree
Apple tree

If you have an orchid and grow apple trees, March is the perfect pruning time for them. Apple trees will typically be dormant around this time, meaning they can recover from cuts and trims rather quickly without their health or longevity taking a big hit. 

Peach tree
Peach tree

Contrary to popular belief, peach trees can absolutely be trimmed in spring, just before they begin budding. By removing dead branches and weak foliage, you’ll be allowing the tree to breathe properly and lowering its risk of catching a fungal disease that could seriously harm fruit yield in the long run. 

Plum tree
Plum tree

Though it isn’t exactly necessary, pruning plum trees in March can help get rid of the weak branches that will be slowing down growth after dormancy ends. It’s better to remove them and allow your tree to produce new, healthier branches in their place.

Pear tree
Pear tree

Continuing the streak of fruit trees, we have pear trees which can also benefit from a spring pruning if done correctly. This means you only remove the damaged or dead branches and leaves while leaving 75% of the healthy areas intact

Trimming down too much at once will place unnecessary stress on your pear tree which is not what you want. Remove just enough wood to improve air circulation and allow sufficient light to reach the denser areas of the tree. 

I consider pruning to be the simplest gardening task ever, and it’s quite fun too (at least for me). More people need to realize that there’s no magic or “secret” hack to pruning well; you just need to know the ideal pruning time and have the tools necessary to get the job done. There’s truly nothing more to it than that. 

Keep in mind that different plants and trees will react differently to pruning. If you make good, clean cuts and only remove up to 25% of the wood at a time, there shouldn’t be any issues. However, if you’re sloppy and reckless, you can do some serious damage to your plants that may even be irreversible. 

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