How to Trim Down a Hibiscus to a Bush Plant

The large, brightly colored flowers of the hibiscus make it a stunning addition to the garden. The variety of the hibiscus determines its mature size, with dwarf varieties only reaching up to 3 feet tall and standard types growing to a height of 8 feet or greater. Pruning the plant properly each year helps maintain it in a smaller bush form. Proper trimming also results in a more compact and lush plant by preventing the hibiscus from becoming sparse and leggy.

Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Cut back hibiscus to the ground if the plant is killed back by frost over the winter. Cut down in early spring, right before new growth begins. The hibiscus grows new shoots up from the roots. Annual cutting back results in a bushy, lower-growing plant.
- 2
  Trim down hibiscus after the first flush of spring or early summer blooms, especially if it didn't experience winter dieback. Cut old stems down to the ground and trim back the remaining stems by up to one-third of their height.
- 3
  Prune overgrown hibiscus back severely to rejuvenate them. Cut back the entire bush to half it's previous height in early spring. Prune in this manner each spring for two to three years, or until the plant is trimmed back to the desired height.

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