Hi John,

Thank you for contacting us.

Your shrub is a Amur Honeysuckle.

How to Prune Honeysuckle Bushes
If you are trying to regain control, it is best to delay until the early spring when the it is still cold outside and you can clearly see the structure of the shrub. Prune primarily for increasing ventilation throughout the shrub. Do this by removing and dead stock and concentrating on taking out 1/4 to 1/3 of the laterals evenly throughout the shrub.

Very overgrown honeysuckle bushes can also be cut back to around a foot from the ground. Severe pruning is the easiest way to tidy up out of control honeysuckle shrubs and remove a tangled mess of stems. Like other major pruning jobs, this too is best while the shrub is dormant in early spring and the weather is cold.

This plant is a fast grower and now considered an invasive species. Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is native to eastern Asia and was introduced into North America in 1896. Planted originally for ornamental use, and later as a wildlife cover and for soil erosion control. North America soon learned just how detrimental this invasive species is. By squashing out native vegetation and changing soil chemistry, honeysuckle quickly becomes a nuisance for natural ecosystems. Where invasive honeysuckle grows, food sources for birds and other small mammals decrease and soon even tree saplings are unable to grow. Left unchecked, honeysuckle becomes a massive problem both ecologically and aesthetically.

I've included additional photographs taken today. I'm wondering if it is not an amur honeysuckle but something else. If it is something else, how can they be pruned since some of the pruning I've done (pruning too deep) seems to kill them? Thanks.

On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 10:09 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

Thanks for sending these photos. Yes, this is a completely different picture. Could you please take an additional more distant photo to give a broad view of the hedge?

Hi John,

Thanks for the updated photos. They are a huge help. You definitely do not have honeysuckle, more likely a privet, of which there are many. Check out these two websites and see if you can determine more closely which is your privet. 

Video of: Border, Common, Japanese, and Chinese Privets

https://extension.psu.edu/privet-accurate-identification

This website has photos of several common privets which might help to identify yours specifically.

https://www.naturehills.com/bushes-and-shrubs/bushes-and-shrubs-varieties/privet-hedges

(Though some disparage the California Privet Hedge, some prefer it's eye catching yellow underside leaves and scented blooms that bring pollinators.)

In any case, pruning methods seem to be fairly consistent.

When to Prune a Privet- It needs two per year.You’ll want to undertake these pruning steps in late winter. That is, removing damaged branches or opening the interior of the shrub should be done before spring growth begins. When to prune privet by trimming the outside of the hedge? This type of privet hedge pruning should take place in mid spring after the annual growth has begun.

 How to Prune a Privet Hedge Privet hedge pruning involves cutting back privet shrubs. Pruning privet hedges requires some effort, but it is worth the time and energy. You’ll need to wear gloves since privet sap causes irritation and rashes. 

 The first step in privet hedge pruning is to trim out crossing branches. You’ll also want to keep cutting back privet to remove damaged or dead branches. Remove them at their base with loppers. Once you finish this, remove several large branches from the inside of each shrub to open up the center of the hedge.

Use bypass pruners for this, cutting back each branch to a side branch. You want to determine how high you want your hedge. Then get several stakes of that height and plant them in the ground toward the center of the hedge. Tie a string between the stakes.

 The bottom of the hedge should be broader then the top which is why yours is dying at the bottom. See pick pruning information below.

Resources:

https://www.hedgesonline.co.uk/deciduous-shrubs-and-hedges/privet-hedging.html

California Privet

https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/common-privet

Pick Pruning- The bottom of the hedge should be broader than the top.

https://hawkslandscape.com/privet-pruning-winter-care-and-fertilizing/#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20forming%20a,the%20longevity%20of%20the%20plant.