Wash your hands and sterilize your pruners after cutting each diseased branch. The shrub will then send up new, healthy growth from the roots in spring, but the plant will most likely not flower for a couple of years. It got to at least 6 feet in height and 6 feet in width and was overtaking the area where I had it planted. If there is a heavy flush of new growth, remove older branches to encourage the new growth to flourish. Bridal wreath is smothered with white blossom in spring. Which is true? It can … Willi Evans Galloway loves to read, write, talk about, and teach people how to garden organically and grow their own food. The best time to prune spring-blooming spireas is immediately after the shrubs finish blooming. Cut back a third of the canes, preferably the oldest and tallest ones, all the way to the ground. Spiraea prunifolia, or Bridal Wreath Spiraea, is a drought-tolerant, flowering, deciduous shrub that grows to 9 feet high and 8 feet wide.It tends to be twiggy in form, loose and fountain-like. If you want to continue to have blooms the pruning should be done closely following the blooms in the spring. The first step in pruning a bridal wreath spiraea is to remove any damaged, dead or diseased stems. Remove branches from the center of the plant to thin it and allow sunlight to reach the new developing branches. Cut the flowered stems back to a sideshoot. The bridal wreath spirea is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that features sprays of little white flowers. Cut these stems down to ground level with the appropriate tool. Place diseased branches in a plastic trash bag and once all have been collected, seal the bag completely before throwing it away. Repeat this process until you have removed 1/3 (and no more) of the oldest branches. The only problem with spring-blooming spireas like Bridal Wreath and Snowmound is they tend to quickly become overgrown and twiggy, and flower less if left unpruned. Before you start pruning, step back and take a good look at your shrub. Bridal Wreath (Spiraea prunifolia) and Snowmound (Spiraea nipponica) Spiraeas are very pretty and easy-to-grow spring flowering shrubs. The dark green oval leaves turn purple to red in the fall. There is an abundance of flowers during the spring and will put on another show in the fall when the leaves change colors. Long handled loppers or hand saws are suitable for removing thicker, dried or woody stems. Spirea is a type of shrub that comes in different variants. This makes neat little mounds of twigs that will explode with new growth come spring. 1 Response A general rule of thumb when pruning flowering shrubs is to do so just after they have finished blooming. The bridal wreath spirea, or Spiraea prunifolia, is a deciduous shrub that grows to heights of 6 feet. Bridal Wreath (Spiraea prunifolia) and Snowmound (Spiraea nipponica) Spiraeas are very pretty and easy-to-grow spring flowering shrubs. The dark green oval leaves turn purple to red in the fall. And be sure to wait to prune lilacs, forsythia and other spring flowering shrubs until right after bloom. Spirea recover very quickly from heavy pruning. She has worked at various greenhouse production facilities and more recently as a personal banking assistant for Zions Bank. Wait two weeks after flowers have dropped from their stems before pruning. Note branches that droop to the ground or that are significantly taller than others. Top prune the plant to improve the shape and reduce its size … You can also shape the shrub at this time. Place diseased branches in a plastic trash bag and once all have been collected, seal the bag completely before throwing it away. Once the flowers start to fade and/or go to seed you can prune the plant back to achieve a desirable size or shape. Often the common name of Bridal Wreath gets confused with another white flowered shrub – Exochorda ‘The Bride’. For the past five years, she has worked as the West Coast Editor of Organic Gardening magazine. I'll show you 4 options for pruning spirea to get the effect you want. Annual pruning is require to keep these shrubs shapely and to encourage healthy growth. After it has flowered, take the chance to prune it and encourage bushy growth. After the third spring, you will have removed all of the old growth and will have a virtually new shrub. Family Rosaceae . Blooms often appear before the leaves. Simply cut back all (yes, all) of the branches back to the ground in late winter. The Time of Year to Trim Flowering Shrubs. Phonetic Spelling spy-REE-ah proo-ni-FOH-lee-uh Description. To maintain the health of the shrub it is best to manage this over a 2 year period taking only a third of the shrub down. O NLY ONE DECIDUOUS SHRUB here still has its leaves at Thanksgiving, and what amazing leaves they are. How to Prune Bridal Wreath and Snowmound Spiraeas. Check out my article: "How to Prune Summer Flowering Spiraeas" for detailed instructions. Another reason for pruning Bridal Wreath Spirea is to re-define the plant’s definition within the landscape. Prune after flowering if needed. Give it a good trim after it flowers in the spring by cutting back the tips of the stems to the top leaf bud. Wipe the blades down with a cloth soaked in alcohol or bleach to sterilize them. Dainty, white … Cut these stems down to ground level with the appropriate tool. How to Hard Prune Plants. In early to mid spring, a profusion of double white flowers held in clusters of 3-6 blossoms appear along the naked branches. Willi lives in Seattle with her husband, four pet chickens, a lawn-destroying labrador, and way too many tomato plants. Bridal wreath spirea become covered with white blooms in early to mid spring. Others say during summer. Throughout the summer, the plants shape can be maintained by cutting back overgrown spirea shoots or stems as well as any dead or diseased branches. Bridal wreath spirea become covered with white blooms in early to mid spring. Make all cuts at a 45-degree angle. Only use clean, sharp tools when pruning spirea. Willi also recently created www.digginfood.com, a site that serves up gardening and cooking inspiration. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the spirea's stems to avoid damaging the health of the plant. It can also be used in floral arrangements. Other common names bridal wreath foam of May . Therefore, pruning in late summer, fall or winter will remove flower buds effecting the spring bloom. The length of the handles gives you more leverage and lets you make clean cuts. Overgrown shrubs can benefit from renewal pruning. The Bridal Wreath is easily the best of the white flowering Spiraeas. I have them chainsawed down to about 30" tall after each blooming, and then stand back (to get out of their way). In the spring, after the first blooms are spent, cut the dead flowers back by trimming spirea’s stem tips back to the topmost leaf on each stem. Bridal wreath spirea (S. prunifolia) is an early blooming, deciduous shrub with white, double flowers that appear before the foliage in the spring. The plant is easily grown in average, medium moisture, in well-drained soils, and does its best flowering when sited in full sun. If you have a really old, overgrown spiraea that rarely flowers, you can try doing a radical prune instead of removing the shrub. If your spiraea shrub blooms in summer, you'll need to prune in late winter. This spirea grows to about 6 feet tall and wide. Do not shear only the top growth to preserve the plant’s naturally arching shape. Prune, if necessary, … Prune these branches back either to the ground or to a spot where they join a healthy, live branch. Bridal Wreath Spireas do not require pruning however respond well to it. The stems are lined with small, double, white flowers in spring. Dainty, white blooms line their graceful, arching branches and fill the air with a sweet fragrance. You should actually prune your spirea more than once a year, at least twice. This removes the dead blossoms and also may trigger a second blooming and new leaf growth. Prune these spring flowering shrubs soon after they have bloomed. The idea behind this technique is to cut back 1/3 of the oldest branches to the ground annually in order to stimulate a supply of new growth. Start by cutting out the branch that sticks out the most and contributes the least to the overall form of the shrub. Bridal wreath spirea (Spiraea prunifolia): This old-fashioned classic is instantly recognizable by its tiny carnation-like double white flowers that cover the bare branches in early spring. In year two thin out new shoots if excessive, and cut back or shorten the remaining older branches. They bloom in the spring from flower buds that formed on the branches the previous summer. I cut it back to about 2 feet in height about two years ago and now it's almost back to it's previous size. Hard prune in … Severely pruning such infested spireas will not only re-invigorate the plant, but will also reduce insect problems and minimize corrective treatments necessary to eliminate such problems. Plan which of the oldest branches you want to take out before you start. It typically grows 4-8’ tall with a similar spread, often becoming somewhat open and leggy over time. Bridal wreath spirea blooms are produced on old wood from buds that developed during the previous year. Use a pruning saw for thicker stems. Make all cuts at a 45-degree angle. Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’ remains the richest gold, weeks after any other shrub but evergreens and fruit-filled hollies were worth a second look. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Remove these branches first by cutting them down to the ground. Cut the branch off as close to the base as possible using a sharp, narrow saw, or bypass loppers if the branch is not that big. If dead, damaged or diseased branches appear during the year, they can be removed at any time to increase the health of the plant. In early spring, before the leaf buds start to swell, cut all of the stems down so they’re 4 to 6 in. You can use pruning shears and cut one at a time or hedge clippers and simply cut them all off at once — it makes no difference. Blooms often appear before the leaves. This pruning will usually be a more drastic trim and you will remove more plant material from the plant than during the spring/summer prune … The bridal wreath spiraea bushes that encircle my front porch are in glorious full bloom, just as they have been every spring since they were planted 89 years ago. If the stems you are going to cut are less than 1 3/4 inches in diameter, use heavy long-handled pruners for the job. Use sharp clean tools when pruning spirea. Clean and sterilize your tools before pruning. It looks best where the long, arching stems have plenty of room to grow without hard pruning. Westover graduated from Brigham Young University Idaho in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in horticulture and a minor in accounting. A bit more information: Spring flowering shrubs like bridal wreath spirea, lilac and forsythia form their flower buds the summer prior to flowering. Bridal Wreath Spirea should be pruned right after blooming to reduce height and maintain the desired shape. To avoid minimizing the flower producing canes before they bloom, only prune bridal wreath spirea after the blooming period is finished. To keep your shrub looking good, prune out dead and unhealthy wood annually. The best time to prune spring-blooming spireas is immediately after the shrubs finish blooming. The other varieties blossom every early summer. Rejuvenation pruning consists of cutting down a plant to about 6-18 inches. Spirea that’s not pruned or pruned to the ground each spring has a casual, loose habit. There are spirea shrubs that bloom flowers during spring. Annual pruning is require to keep these shrubs shapely and to encourage healthy growth. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker. Find help and information on Spiraea x vanhouttei Bridal wreath Van Houtte's Vanhoutte spirea Bridalwreath, including varieties and pruning advice. Cut back remaining older stems by half, to a vigorous side shoot or healthy outward-facing bud. Genus Spiraea are deciduous shrubs, sometimes suckering, with simple leaves and short racemes, panicles or corymbs of small, … Noted for its gorgeous spring blooms and brilliant fall color, Spiraea prunifolia (Bridal Wreath) is an upright, clumping, deciduous shrub with gracefully arching branches. Luckily, it's super easy to get the shrubs back in shape if you give them a trim using a technique called "gradual renovation pruning." As the name suggests, you could cut off part of a flowering branch to twine in your hair. That fact basically suggests the different times of pruning the plant depending on the type. Spirea White, includes Bridal Wreath, Snow White, Snowmound, Fairy Queen and Thor Birchleaf. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Mature plants with congested branches can be thinned by removing one third of the oldest stems. Older branches are darker in color and woodier. In the third year remove any remaining older stems. Sterilize your tool after each cut if working with diseased branches to avoid spreading it to healthy stems. I as well let a Bridal Wreath Spirea get overgrown. If you like white flowers, use this to create a focal point in your garden. In subsequent years return to the normal pruning regime. Spiraea ‘Arguta has much smaller flowers than the Exochorda, though just as showy and less troublesome. As you prune, do your best to create a shrub with a balanced form and graceful shape. See more ideas about Planting flowers, Bridal wreath spirea, Garden inspiration. Spiraea prunifolia, commonly called bridalwreath spirea or just bridalwreath, is an upright, clumping, deciduous shrub with arching branching. Here is how to apply this technique to prune these spiraeas. To complete the renovation pruning process, you will need to repeat Steps 1 through 4 each spring for two more years. Once you have removed the first branch, evaluate the shrub again and take out the next worst branch. For USDA zones 5 to 8. Bridal Wreath Spirea Let's start with the larger growing selections that all sport white flowers and a mass of blooms in May or early June depending upon where they are grown. The bridal wreath spirea, or Spiraea prunifolia, is a deciduous shrub that grows to heights of 6 feet. Bridal Wreath spirea bloom on old wood from the precious year. Sep 20, 2019 - Explore Jenny Cook's board "Bridal wreath spirea" on Pinterest. Synonyms Spiraea × arguta 'Bridal Wreath' Spiraea × arguta. As with any pruning project, start by removing dead, diseased, spindly, or split branches. Stand back and look at the general shape of the shrub. The only problem with spring-blooming spireas like Bridal Wreath and Snowmound is they tend to quickly become overgrown and twiggy, and flower less if left unpruned. Lightly trimming you spirea after blooming will extend this shrub's season of interest. A tip I have seen time and time again is: when you are doing some rejuvenation pruning, don’t forget to … Do Spirea Bushes Bloom on Old or New Growth? Spirea shrubs respond well to pruning. Use hand pruners for removing thin, green stems. Old-fashioned spireas may contain several species of spirea, including S. x vanhouttei, S. thunbergii, S. prunifolia, and S. betulifolia (also known as Vanhoutte, Thunberg, Bridal Wreath, and Birchleaf respectively). Jessica Westover began writing professionally in 2010. When to prune spirea exactly? Click here to find out more. bridal wreath spirea This is a vigorous evergreen shrub to six feet tall or more. Wash your hands and sterilise your pruners after cutting each diseased branch. tall. The second pruning should occur in late fall or early spring. Wash the blades of your tools in warm soap water, rinse thoroughly and dry. Not Japanese White, see pink spirea. 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