9 Houseplants You Should Always Prune In Summer

While others are interested in shiny flowering plants when they’re young, I actually admired houseplants a lot during my teenage years. Flowers were cool and beautiful, but they never intrigued me like pothos or snake plants did. 

From a very young age, I learned to care for houseplants alongside my mom, who also took an interest in them. 

In today’s article, allow me to clear up some confusion surrounding houseplant pruning and help you determine which houseplants you should and shouldn’t prune this summer. Let’s get right into it! 

Is It Mandatory To Prune My Houseplants?

Well, in the garden, nothing is truly “mandatory” except watering…

However, yes, pruning can be vital if you have houseplants that you want growing to their fullest capability. When you prune, you essentially remove bad wood and weak foliage that causes the plant to become stagnant.

After pruning, you’ll notice more vigorous growth and your plant looking a lot fuller than before. 

But…Won’t Pruning Plants Make Them More Fragile?

Yeah…I get this one a lot!  And, no, pruning won’t make your plants more fragile or anything; that is a completely false belief!

I mean, yes, pruning does sound counterproductive because you’re removing parts of the plant to achieve more growth, but that doesn’t mean it will have a negative impact. 

If anything, pruning is supposed to make your plants stronger, denser, and healthier. 

Houseplants To Prune In The Summertime

1: Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)

Rubber plants can often grow very tall without having much thickness, and that’s not a very good look. Pruning them in the summertime can help reduce some of that awkward height and encourage fuller, bushier growth through lateral branching. 

2: Jade Plant (Crassula Ovata)

Despite the name, jade plants are super susceptible to pests and insects. Even without any infestations, they can experience weak growth, leggy stems, and leaf discoloration. 

The best way to keep such trouble at bay is by pruning jade plants regularly and keeping them compact. 

3: Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum) 

While spider plants are known for their elegance in minimalist environments, they can often become super messy if allowed to grow freely without intervention. 

Regularly removing weak foliage and runners not only helps with healthier growth but also tidies them up for an elegant display. 

If yours is looking limp or off-color, here’s how to fix yellow or droopy spider plant leaves.

4: Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

The pothos is easily one of my favorite houseplants. I don’t know what it is, but wherever I spot a pothos, something in me wants to pause and admire its long, lively growth. 

Trimming pothos in summer can help the plant preserve energy and direct it towards renewed foliage growth. 

If your pothos has healthy roots but refuses to grow new leaves, this guide can help you troubleshoot it.

5: Philodendron (Vining Types)

Vining philodendrons must be trimmed with precision, and one needs to time their trim right.

Doing it too late or too early in the season never ends well and will probably cancel out any branching and growth benefit you were to receive from it. 

6: Monstera (Monstera Deliciosa)

Monstera is up there amongst my favorite houseplants. The only reason it’s not number one is that it has very sensitive roots that have given me a lot of trouble in the past. 

Anyways, a light prune from time to time can completely change the trajectory of a dull monstera plant and restore its tall, vigorous growth after a period of stagnation. 

If your monstera leaves are small or underwhelming, here’s how to encourage bigger growth.

7: Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Peace lilies will typically have tons of spent flower stalks in the summertime, and removing them strategically can actually help the plant restore energy and direct it to more productive growth. 

Yellowing leaves can sometimes be a sign of deeper issues, here’s how to bring your peace lily back to life.

8: Holiday Cactus (Schlumbergera Spp.)

While holiday cactuses are generally low-maintenance, pinching them back in summer is a good idea, as it can help encourage denser growth and allow the cactus to project a much more powerful presence. 

Just keep in mind this should be a light prune, shaping or removing leggy growth only. For heavier trimming, wait until right after blooming in late winter or early spring.

Not sure if it needs a trim? These signs will tell you it’s time to prune your Christmas cactus.

9: Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Lyrata)

Fiddle leaf fig plants tend to grow super tall while not having sufficient fullness, which not only makes them look hideous but also creates an unbalanced base. 

Trimming this plant down can help promote balance and proper structure, indirectly supporting healthier, rejuvenated growth too. 

Let’s Conclude

Do you love the idea of summer pruning? Here are perennials that reward you with more blooms if cut back mid-season.

Houseplants have been the core pillar of my gardening journey, and it feels good to share the wisdom I’ve acquired growing them over the years with the community. 

When I was just starting out, the internet gardening community helped me tremendously, and giving back what I’ve learned to beginners today feels like a true blessing. Cheers to everyone!