Coppicing shrubs for renewal

Coppicing is the practice of cutting woody plants to near ground level to stimulate vigorous new growth. Per the Royal Horticultural Society, it is one of the oldest forms of woodland management in Europe -- historically used to produce regular crops of uniform-sized stems for poles, fuel, and.

Coppicing is the practice of cutting woody plants to near ground level to stimulate vigorous new growth. Per the Royal Horticultural Society, it is one of the oldest forms of woodland management in Europe — historically used to produce regular crops of uniform-sized stems for poles, fuel, and basket materials. In the modern garden, coppicing is used for three ornamental goals:

1. Renewal pruning — restoring overgrown, declining shrubs to vigor
2. Stem color — maximizing the production of vivid young stems on Cornus, Salix, and Rubus (young stems are the most brightly colored)
3. Foliage effect — producing dramatically large leaves on species like Sambucus, Paulownia, Cotinus, and Eucalyptus that produce larger foliage on vigorous young shoots

How coppicing differs from hard pruning

Hard pruning means cutting back to 12—18 inches. Coppicing means cutting to 2—4 inches from ground level — near-complete removal of all above-ground stems. Per Penn State Extension, plants that tolerate coppicing have lignotubers or crown-level buds that survive complete above-ground removal and produce vigorous new stems.