Pruning Flowering Trees & Shrubs

Salvia - Deciduous, Soft-Stemmed

• Scientific Name

  Salvia elegans, S. guaranitica, S. leucantha, S. waverly, S. ulignosa, S. Patens) – Deciduous Soft-Stemmed Salvia
• Image & Information

  

  Salvia elegans. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

  As a general rule, these salvia may be pruned severely in the late fall or in the spring. The decision depends upon whether a gardener’s climate includes many nights of freezing temperatures. If so, then it is best to prune in the spring, so that the previous year’s growth can protect the emerging new growth. If frost damage is not an issue, then the best time for an annual pruning is in the late fall.

  Note that these salvia may spread as they grow, requiring division from time to time.

• When to Prune

  Late fall or spring
• Flowers/Fruit on New or Old Wood

  New Wood
• How & What to Prune

  In late fall or spring (see Information), prune the branches close to the ground. This avoids dense, tangled growth in the spring and controls pests over the winter.

  During the growing season, remove stems that have finished blooming to the ground.

  If, during the growing season, the plant becomes dense and unkempt, it is possible to prune selected branches to within six to twelve inches of the ground.