Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum): when and how to prune

Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum): when to prune it?

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After flowering, in June, for a light trim. Do a thorough renewal prune in March.

What else to prune in those months? March · June

Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum): how to prune it?

1. Shorten branches that are too long or stick out back to a side shoot to keep the shape.
2. Remove dead, weak and crossing stems right at the base.
3. To renew an old shrub, saw a third of the oldest stems down to near ground level each March.
4. Dig out suckers around the shrub.

How much to cut, and how often?

• There are 2 pruning periods a year: March 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 March 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.
• Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) flowers in May–June, when it attracts bees.
• If pruning falls during flowering, wait until it is over or leave part of the plant to flower, so bees and butterflies still benefit.
• 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

• Guelder rose
• Japanese snowball
• Wayfaring tree
• Bodnant viburnum (Viburnum × bodnantense)
• Burkwood viburnum (Viburnum × burkwoodii)
• Fragrant snowball (Viburnum × carlcephalum)

Plant profile: Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) · Pruning calendar and basic rules