How to Prune Royal Purple Smoke Trees
- 1). Remove any dead, damaged or diseased foliage from the royal purple smoke tree as it occurs. Cut the foliage off at the base of the shrub.
- 2). Dead-head the flowers after they fade. Pinch the flowers off of the foliage.
- 3). Cut back the royal purple smoke tree to the ground in late winter or early spring. Cut it back to within 2 to 2 1/2 inches of the ground. The royal purple smoke tree will grow back fuller and still flower regularly.