Tree peony: when and how to prune

Tree peony: when to prune it?

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Only remove dead wood, in April, when you can see which buds are breaking. Cut off faded flowers in June.

What else to prune in those months? April · June

Tree peony: how to prune it?

1. In April, cut dead twigs and frosted tips back to just above a healthy, swelling bud.
2. In June, cut faded flowers back to above the first good leaf.
3. Renovate an old, bare shrub carefully: cut no more than one old stem a year back low down, just above a bud.
4. Shoots with different leaves coming up from the ground are from the rootstock: remove them right back to the root.

How much to cut, and how often?

• There are 2 pruning periods a year: April and June. You don’t have to prune in every one.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in April and June can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Tree peony flowers in May, when it attracts bees.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Common peony
• Fern-leaf peony
• Molly-the-witch
• Barberry
• Blackthorn
• Bluebeard

Plant profile: Tree peony · Pruning calendar and basic rules