Kerria japonica: how to prune it?

Japanese Kerria, or Kerria japonica, is a deciduous bush that offers a generous flowering in spring, in the form of yellow pom-poms! It forms a vigorous bush, reaching heights of up to 1.5 m - 2 m. This bush is very easy to grow and quite hardy (down to -25 °C), and is not very susceptible to diseases. It thrives in full sun or light shade, in fertile, well-draining soil that remains cool in summer. Discover all our tips for successfully pruning Japanese Kerria!

And to learn more about its cultivation, feel free to check our complete guide: "Japanese Kerria, Kerria japonica: Planting, Pruning, Maintaining"

Why prune Japanese Kerria?

Kerria japonica can do without pruning; however, when left unpruned, it tends to become bare in the centre over time, only producing flowers at its tips. This helps maintain a well-branched, bushy shrub with evenly distributed flowers. Pruning encourages the bush to produce new, vigorous shoots and to offer abundant flowering! As it tends to sucker, pruning will help limit its spread and keep it within reasonable dimensions. Additionally, pruning can induce a slight resurgence of flowering in late summer. Finally, for plants grown in pots or in small gardens, pruning Kerria japonica helps maintain a compact and bushy habit, preventing it from taking up too much space.

Kerria japonica can be pruned severely, as it is a suckering and vigorous bush: it will have no trouble producing new stems to replace those that have been cut.

How to prune Japanese Kerria — Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora'

When to prune?

Japanese Kerria should be pruned each year, as soon as it has finished flowering, in late spring (June). The flowers for the following year will appear on the new shoots of summer: therefore, do not wait to prune, as this would severely limit the next flowering.

How to prune it?

First of all, it is important to disinfect your pruning shear with 90° alcohol to avoid transmitting diseases from one plant to another. Also, prune the branches at an angle (with a 45° cut), just above a node (the point where leaves attach to the stem). This will help the bush heal, branch out, and produce new shoots.

Start by removing dead, damaged, or poorly positioned branches by cutting them back to the ground.
Cut a few branches from the centre of the bush to allow light to penetrate.
Kerria japonica is a suckering bush: you can cut back the suckers located on the outside of the clump to reduce its growth and limit the clump.
Prune between one third and half of the branches that have flowered in the year by cutting them back a few centimetres from the ground. This helps regenerate the stems: the bush will produce new ones to replace them.
Don’t hesitate to step back to appreciate the overall shape of the bush and adjust the pruning if necessary.