Pruning Old Wood vs. New Growth

"When do I prune my butterfly bush and my lilacs?" The answer has to do with determining a plant's old wood and new growth...

Buddleia davidii 'Royal Red'
Item # 27140 		Buddleia davidii 'Royal Red'
Royal Red Butterfly Bush

each $8.29
3 to 6 plants $7.99
7 or more $7.79
  • Topic: Pruning
  • Author: David Salman
  • Keywords: pruning, old wood, new growth, fruit trees, ornamental trees
  • Date: January 1996

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“When do I prune my butterfly bush and my lilacs?” The answer has to do with determining a plant’s old wood and new growth.

Fruit trees produce on old wood. But remember that mature fruit trees have different pruning requirements than young ones. Your local Cooperative Extension Service office is the best place to find specific fruit tree pruning literature for your region.

Old Wood

This is wood that is at least a year old. If you have shrubs such as honey suckle, snowball bush, lilac, Genista, forsythia and crape myrtle the flowers in spring will occur on the old wood.

New Wood

This is wood put on during a current growing season and includes Russian Sage, potentilla, blue mist spirea, summer blooming butterfly bush and roses.

Pruning hint: Pruning paint is not recommended to seal a fresh cut. The sap from the plant will become its own sealer.