How to Prune Your Limelight Hydrangeas

Follow this method to get beautiful blooms this spring!

I get so many questions about hydrangeas—of all kinds!—and I love that y’all love these gorgeous flowers as much as I do! I want to see yours succeed, so I’m going to share my best tips for pruning Limelight hydrangeas. Remember: All hydrangeas are different. Some bloom on old growth (like Oakleaf), and others, like Panicle, bloom on new growth—and that includes Limelights!

Limelights should be pruned in late winter before they have any new growth. Personally, I like to prune my Limelights in late February/early Spring. I’m in Georgia, so at this time of year we are generally safe from super-cold weather and snow. If you are farther north, be sure you wait until after the last snow of the season.

To trim your Limelights correctly, look to see where they were cut back last year, and then snip branches—at a slight angle—right above that to create a “Y.”  (Watch my video to get a visual of the Y shape!) Then, just go through all your branches, cutting each one into a Y shape. This will give you beautiful branch structure and create a sturdy base for big blooms! You can also clear out any stragglers or small branches that won’t support heavy flowers (this will also help to keep your hydrangeas from flopping over!).

I hope this helps encourage your Limelights to bloom well this season! Happy Gardening!