How to Prune Camellia Bushes

Sharing is caring!

Wondering how to prune your camellias? This time of year, with its dead grass and leaf-less trees, offers a beautiful respite in the form of pink, red, and white blooms. Pruning camellias isn’t difficult, but you do want to wait for the right time.

Why Grow Camellia Bushes

Along with green glossy leaves, the fragrant camellia (Camellia japonica) is also known as the ‘winter rose’ because it blooms during the winter months.

This rare blooming trait, combined with its rich evergreen leaves make this a popular shrub. And it’s no wonder! Who wouldn’t want a beautiful reminder that spring is close at hand? And the beautiful blooms are perfect to bring inside for a bit of bright, floral decor in the midst of winter. 

Camellias, though fairly low maintenance, do need to be pruned to keep them healthy, but require very little maintenance aside from a yearly pruning. Follow these camellia pruning tips and get the most from this beautiful and popular evergreen shrub.

When to Prune Camellias

Camellias should be pruned immediately after they are finished blooming, which varies based on where you live. For those in the southeast, this could be as early as February, but those in more northern climates could prune as late as May. 

While the shrub can technically be pruned any time during the year, you may be removing buds and the shrub won’t have as many blooms if you prune too late after blooming.

So, if you definitely want to enjoy your winter roses the following year, definitely plan to prune right after blooming has finished. 

Shaping a Camellia Bush

Use sharp snips and prune off the ends of branches to give the camellia a desired shape. If you are happy with the size of the shrub, only snip off about an inch of the branch ends.

If you want the shrub smaller, prune off 3-4 inches of the branch ends. For more of a “tree” look for your camellia, take off the lower branches, leaving one main trunk. This is a beautiful look if your camellia is part of a flower bed with other low-lying bushes. 

There are many camellia cultivars and their mature sizes range from 2 feet to 20 feet, depending on the particular one you have. A slow-growing, 2-foot tall camellia won’t need pruning as often as a cultivar that will reach 20 feet tall. However, to keep any size or variety of camellia healthy it will need an occasional pruning.

Hard Pruning a Camellia

Camellias live for decades, trust me… we have some, and the larger cultivars may need a hard pruning every decade to rejuvenate them. If you have an older camellia that is looking straggly and not producing many blooms, give it a hard pruning by cutting the entire shrub back to 2-3 feet tall.

While it may seem like you’ve killed your precious camellia, fear not. They’re a hardy plant, and ours have come back just as green and glossy as ever. This same hard pruning also works well for old and leggy azaleas.  You can see in the image below, a full camellia bush on the left, and a leggy bush on the right that needs a hard pruning. 

Wait until spring to do a hard pruning if possible. If not possible, just know your camellia probably won’t bloom again until the second year after a hard pruning.

Why Prune Camellias?

Camellias produce an abundance of small branches that are covered with dense leaves year around. This creates an ideal environment for pests and disease. 

Removing some of the inner branches will allow sunlight and air to circulate in the middle of the shrub. This will help prevent pests from creating a home within the shrub’s interior. It also prevents the onset of diseases that thrive in dark, warm environments.

Pruning keeps camellias looking their best, producing the most blooms possible and keeps the evergreen shrub healthy. For all the beauty that camellias give off, I figure I can fit time in for a bit of pruning to help them look their best.

I’d love to know your favorite shade of camellia blooms. And how have your bushes have done with pruning in the past? Let me know in the comments below. 

Have a great week and happy gardening!