If I trim my Endless Summer® hydrangea back to the first bud on last year’s growth, will I get this year’s bloom? Can I just prune back to shape the plant?

Thanks so much for checking in about pruning your Endless Summer^® Hydrangeas. The great news is that you really can’t go wrong since these hydrangeas bloom both on last year’s growth as well as this year’s new growth. You are correct that if you are only planning to do light pruning you would cut just above the nice fat green buds you see in the spring. That will give you the earliest blooms since these buds were formed last year. If you look farther down towards the base of the shrub you will doubtless see lots of new leafy growth – that is what we call “new wood” and those new canes will bloom later this summer. If you feel you need to do more rigorous pruning for shape this year you will still get those beautiful flowers – just a little later.

Check out our quick video on spring pruning tips for even more pruning help!