| I live in central Illinois, zone 5. Is this the time of the year to prune a Flame Tip Spirea, and do I cut it back to the ground? |
| Your spirea is a fast-growing shrub and can be pruned each year for renewal. Yours will flower on new wood each summer and can be pruned back in late winter or early spring to give the old wood time to produce new flowering shoots. Don't cut it all back to the ground, but do remove old wood that has already produced flowers. Newer stems can be allowed to remain. After the first flush of blooms you may also tip it lightly to encourage a second flush of blooms. In general you would not routinely cut any kind of spirea back to the ground at any season. |
