8 Evergreens You Should Never Cut Back in Fall—Here's Why Skip these plants during your autumn pruning. Close Credit: Getty Images Evergreen trees are a beautiful addition to any landscape. These plants retain their foliage year-round, offering winter interest when many plants have gone to bed for the season. While it may seem natural to break out your pruning shears to give your evergreens a trim ahead of winter, many varieties benefit from spring pruning. Cutting back certain evergreens in the fall can exposure their limbs to winter damage or cut off their buds, preventing a full bloom. To ensure your evergreens flourish year-round, we spoke to an arborist and horticulturist who shared their list of evergreens to never cut back in fall. Eric North, PhD, program manager of urban forestry and ISA certified arborist at Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest member nonprofit dedicated to planting trees Andrew Bunting, vice president of horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 12 Plants You Should Never Cut Back in Fall 01 of 08 Arborvitae Credit: DEA/RANDOM / Getty Images Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is a common evergreen tree with thick green foliage that provides habitat for birds and other small animals in winter. "While the tree or shrub can be sheared with hedge clippers to create a uniform shape, they do best when lightly pruned with a hand pruner in the early spring to allow light to the interior," says Eric North, program manager of urban forestry and ISA certified arborist at Arbor Day Foundation. "Avoid pruning in the fall, where the additional light to the interior can cause browning or reddening of newly exposed foliage." 02 of 08 Pacific Rhododendron Pacific rhododendron exhibiting tall growth pattern. Credit: Jeff Foott / Getty Images The Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) is recognized by its beautiful pink blooms that fill landscapes with beauty from April to May. To ensure it blooms well next spring, pruning at the right time is essential. "Don’t prune this evergreen shrub in the fall, as you will be robbing yourself of many of the beautiful blooms the following spring," says North. 03 of 08 Eastern White Pine Credit: Aleksander / Getty Images Pruning eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) in the fall will remove the wood branch and buds, resulting in winter damage at the site of the fresh cut, North warns. Fall pruning may also result in uneven growth the following spring, as the lateral buds may produce branches in an asymmetrical pattern. "If you wait until the spring, you can snip off the candles (delicate new growth) from the branch ends to have better control over the form and size of the tree," he says. 04 of 08 Thuja 'Green Giant' Credit: Courtesy of Fast Growing Trees A popular evergreen typically used by homeowners to create a privacy hedge, Thuja 'Green Giant' should never be pruned in the fall. "This popular hedging plant can be pruned in late summer, which will give the flush of new growth time to harden off before the winter," says Andrew Bunting, vice president of horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. "If pruning happens too late, the new growth will be vulnerable to getting frosted." 05 of 08 Eastern Red Cedar Credit: Adél Békefi / Getty Images Prune Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginia) lightly in late winter or early spring to maintain a thick green interior. "If you wait too long, the interior of the tree or shrub will brown out, leaving empty spaces that are revealed when the exterior branches are finally pruned back to control the shape and form," says North. "Don’t prune the tree in the fall as the fresh cuts and newly exposed interior will be more susceptible to winter burn and potential die back." 06 of 08 Boxwood Credit: mtreasure/Getty Images Boxwood (Buxus) is a beautiful broad-leaved evergreen commonly used in landscapes for formal hedging. "It can be pruned in early spring or during the growing season," says Bunting. "If pruning happens too late, the new growth will be vulnerable to getting frosted." 07 of 08 Camellia Credit: Elizabeth Fernandez / Getty Images The camellia (Camellia) is a small flowering shrub or evergreen tree known for its beautiful pink blooms. Depending on the variety in your garden, experts warn against cutting back this plant in autumn. "There are many fall-blooming camellias," says Bunting. "Often blooming in the fall, pruning will be counterproductive because it will result in the removal of buds and flowers." 08 of 08 Tea Olive Credit: Getty Images According to Bunting, the tea olive tree (Osmanthus heterophyllus) produces an abundance of small, very fragrant white flowers in the fall. "Pruning will be counterproductive because it will result in the removal of buds and flowers," he warns. Explore more: Garden Landscaping