How to Trim an Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Oak leaf hydrangeas bloom profusely and produce cone-shaped white flowers. Numerous individual flowers make up each bloom. These plants get their name from their oak-leaf-shaped foliage, which reddens in the fall. Trimming oak leaf hydrangeas encourages bountiful blooming and keeps the plants in proportion in the landscape. Hydrangeas work well to border a property, add color around a house, serve as a hedge or as stand-alone plants to enhance a garden. Learning when and how to trim your oak leaf hydrangea allows you to control its growth and get the most out of this hardy and lush shrub.

Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the hydrangea bush back in the summer, when the blooming ends. Cut the branches down by half, to promote blooming for the next season. Oak leaf hydrangeas bloom on the previous year's growth, according to Texas A&M University.
- 2
  Prune off dead branches, broken branches. Cut back crossing branches to keep the bush's growth even and uncrowded.
- 3
  Trim the hydrangea's branches by cutting them back after flowering to achieve the desired height or shape. For example, trim off 1 foot of growth to keep the top of the hydrangea bush below the level of a window or to keep the hydrangea level with a fence.
- 4
  Form the hydrangea into a more uniform shape, if desired. For example, clip the tops and sides of the hydrangea bush into a rounded shape, or cut the branches shorter on one side of the hydrangea bush to prevent it from touching the house or growing into a walkway. Trim a hydrangea hedge into a classic shape by pruning the sides so they slope, with the top of the hedge narrower than the bottom.

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