Pruning · 9 minute guide
How to prune Australian native shrubs
Time pruning around flowering, make clean cuts and maintain dense natural form without cutting into bare old wood.
Many native shrubs respond well to regular light pruning. The safest approach is to start young, prune after flowering and retain foliage below every cut.
Before you begin
What you’ll need
- Sharp bypass secateurs
- Loppers
- Disinfectant
- Gloves
Identify the plant
Check the encyclopedia profile before pruning. Banksias, grevilleas, westringias and bottlebrushes tolerate different levels of cutting.
Choose the right time
For flowering shrubs, prune after the main flush finishes. Avoid hard pruning immediately before heatwaves, frost or during severe water stress.
Remove problems first
Cut dead, damaged, rubbing and diseased growth back to a healthy junction. Clean tools after diseased material.
Shorten to foliage
Reduce long shoots by up to one-third, cutting just above an outward-facing leaf or side branch. Leave healthy leaves below the cut.
Open selectively
Remove a small number of crowded stems at their origin rather than shearing the entire surface. This preserves natural form and airflow.
Review before continuing
Step back after every few cuts. Stop when the plant is balanced; more can be removed next season, but it cannot be put back.
Important
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not hard-prune mature banksias, hakeas or grevilleas into leafless wood unless the species is known to reshoot.
- Check for active bird nests before pruning.
This guide provides general horticultural information for Sydney conditions. Site drainage, soil, weather and individual species requirements vary. For tree safety, chemical use or persistent plant decline, use an appropriately qualified professional.
Available from our nursery
Continue from advice to supply.
Stock changes regularly. Open a plant to see current sizes and add it to a project schedule.Read next / Pruning