What is "Flowering Wood"?

Q. I have a star jasmine that is very woody growing behind some front greenery. I heard you mention once not to prune “flowering wood”. What does that mean?

Peach flower buds opening on peach "flowering wood". Sometimes, as in the case of peaches, the flower buds are formed the previous year they bloom. Other times flower buds (as in the case of oleander and Texas sage) they are formed on the newest spring growth. This creates a slight delay in flowering after pruning in the spring and summer months.

Texas sage (ranger) produces flowers on "current seasons wood" so if they are pruned when growing there is a pause in flowering until new growth has time to put on growth with flowers on it.

A. It means pay attention to the time of season you’re pruning and its relationship to when the plant produces flowers. 

Warning: we are talking about plants valued for their flowers, not fruit trees! Fruit trees are pruned at a different time because we value their fruit. The flowers are not as important to us in fruit trees. 

If you remember one thing, remember this; the best time to prune any plant valued for its showy flowers, is as soon as possible after it finishes flowering. Enjoy the flowers, and then prune!

Shrubs like oleander that need to put on some new growth to flower will not flower after severely cut back until it reaches close to its mature size, which in some cases can be quite large.

If it’s in the spring, prune it for flowering after it finishes in late spring. If it flowers all during the growing season, then wait until fall or winter when it stops flowering. Avoid all dramatic or “heavy” pruning of nearly all plants during the summer heat.

            Plants need time to produce flowers. Some plants also need the right time of year. If plants produce flowers all season long when growing, then wait to prune them until they finished their show by mid fall or early winter.

Probably one of the best known examples of flowering at certain times (photoperiodic flowering) is poinsettia which must only get a certain number of hours to create "flowers". Light for longer periods than this or shorter only produces green leaves.

Star jasmine typically produces flowers after a flush of spring growth; not right away in the spring. The time of flowering for this plant is more similar to oleander or Texas sage. As long as they are old enough, they start flowering as soon as there is some growth. This tells you they need a little bit of growth to produce flowers. Plants that grow like this we say f”lowers on current season wood”.

Can you see why oleander, Texas sage or star jasmine shouldn’t be pruned during the summer? Instead, they are best pruned during the winter when spring and summer growth provides the new “stem growth” needed for producing flowers. If these plants are pruned just before or after they start their new growth in the spring, it causes their flowering to “pause” until there is some new growth.