Hydrangea Pruning - Ask Extension
I live on a condo property that sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean in Brookings, Oregon. We have a number of well established hydrangeas around th...
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Hydrangea Pruning #946810
Asked October 09, 2026, 12:17 PM EDT
I live on a condo property that sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean in Brookings, Oregon. We have a number of well established hydrangeas around the property in areas that are partly shaded and somewhat protected from the ocean winds by the building itself. I believe they are "mopheads" with large ball shaped blooms that are either blue, purple or white. They did not bloom much at all this year and seemed to bloom late (mid summer) so the blooms are just now starting to look done. My question is when should we cut down/prune our hydrangeas and by how much. I have looked on many online sites and am getting contradictory information. I would be most appreciative of and advice you can give me. Thank you!
Curry County Oregon
Expert Response
Thanks for your question.
The mophead or big leaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) bloom on old wood so now you can deadhead the spent flowers but don't cut back much on the wood as you may remove developing buds that will become next year's flowers.
You can always remove dead or diseased branches. You can also prune out some woody stalks in the center to help stimulate new growth. However, don't remove more than one third of the shrub at any one time as it can put too much stress on the shrub.
Here is a link to an Oregon State Extension article on general care for hydrangeas - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/general-care-hydrangeas
The mophead or big leaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) bloom on old wood so now you can deadhead the spent flowers but don't cut back much on the wood as you may remove developing buds that will become next year's flowers.
You can always remove dead or diseased branches. You can also prune out some woody stalks in the center to help stimulate new growth. However, don't remove more than one third of the shrub at any one time as it can put too much stress on the shrub.
Here is a link to an Oregon State Extension article on general care for hydrangeas - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/general-care-hydrangeas
