Pruning a houseplant feels wrong to many owners — the plant is indoors, it is precious, and cutting it seems like harming it. In fact, a houseplant that is never pruned becomes leggy, bare at the base, and top-heavy, while a plant that is pruned lightly and at the right time becomes bushier, healthier, and more attractive. A golden pothos that is pinched back branches and fills its pot; a monstera deliciosa with its dead leaves removed looks better and is less likely to carry disease; a rubber plant cut back in spring produces side branches and becomes a tree rather than a single pole.
This guide explains what to cut, when to cut it, and how to do it cleanly, for the houseplants most people own. It covers pinching, trimming, removing dead growth, and rejuvenating a leggy plant, and it explains what not to cut. If you are unsure about a particular plant, your local extension service can advise, and keep the healthy cuttings from pothos and philodendron — they root readily in water.
The tools and the hygiene
Houseplant pruning needs only two tools: a pair of sharp, clean scissors or secateurs for stems, and a pair of snips for leaves. Clean the blades before you start and between plants, with rubbing alcohol or a dilute disinfectant, so you do not carry disease from one plant to another — a plant with a fungal infection can pass it to the next plant on a dirty blade. Cut cleanly, with a single snip, rather than tearing or crushing the stem, which leaves a ragged wound that heals slowly. Make the cut just above a leaf joint or a node, where the plant can branch from the bud below. Wear gloves if you are pruning a plant with irritating sap, such as the rubber plant or the monstera deliciosa, whose sap can irritate the skin. And collect the cuttings as you go — a pile of leaves left on the soil surface will rot and encourage fungus gnats.
Pinching and trimming trailing plants
Trailing plants such as the golden pothos, the Njoy pothos, and the philodendron Brasil respond best to pinching: remove the growing tip of a stem, and the plant sends out side shoots from the leaf joints below, becoming bushier rather than longer. Pinch a stem back to just above a leaf node, and do it in spring, when the plant is growing strongly. If a pothos has grown long and bare at the base, with leaves only at the ends of the stems, cut the bare stems back hard in spring — the plant will regrow from the base and from the nodes, and the cuttings can be rooted in water to make new plants. Do not be timid: a pothos cut back by half in spring will be fuller by midsummer than one left untouched. The monstera adansonii benefits from the same treatment, and a trailing monstera that is cut back will produce new, fenestrated leaves if it has enough light.
Shaping upright plants: monstera, rubber plant and fiddle-leaf fig
Upright plants need a different approach. The monstera deliciosa grows a thick stem with aerial roots, and it benefits from the removal of dead or yellowing leaves at the base — cut the leaf stem close to the main stem, and do not pull the leaf off, which can tear the stem. If a monstera has grown too tall, it can be cut back in spring, but the cut will stop that stem from growing, so cut only if you are prepared for the plant to branch from below the cut. The rubber plant can be cut back hard in spring to encourage side branches: cut the main stem at the height you want, and new shoots will appear below the cut within weeks. The fiddle-leaf fig is the most sensitive of the three — it dislikes being moved, pruned, or disturbed, and it may drop leaves after a heavy prune. Prune a fiddle-leaf fig lightly and only in spring, removing no more than a third of the plant, and expect it to sulk for a few weeks before it recovers. Our fiddle-leaf fig page covers its particular needs.
Removing dead, damaged and diseased growth
Dead and damaged growth should be removed whenever you see it, at any time of year. Cut a yellow or brown leaf off at its base, where the leaf stem joins the main stem, and bin it rather than leaving it on the soil. Cut away any stem that is black, soft, or mushy, cutting back into healthy tissue, and clean the blades afterwards. Remove any leaf that is badly infested with pests rather than trying to save it — a single heavily infested leaf can spread spider mites or mealybugs to the whole plant. Do not remove a leaf that is only slightly yellow, since the plant may still be drawing nutrients from it; wait until it is mostly yellow or brown. And do not remove more than a third of a plant's leaves at once — the plant needs its leaves to photosynthesize, and a plant stripped of its foliage cannot recover quickly.
Rejuvenating a leggy plant
A leggy houseplant — long bare stems, leaves only at the top, a plant that flops over — is usually a plant that has not had enough light, and pruning alone will not fix it. Move the plant to a brighter spot first, then prune it back in spring: cut the bare stems back to a healthy node, and the plant will branch from below. For a very leggy pothos or philodendron, cut the stems into sections, root the sections in water, and replant them with the parent plant to fill the pot. For a leggy rubber plant, cut the main stem back and let it branch. For a leggy snake plant Laurentii, there is little to prune — remove the flopped or damaged leaves at the base and let the new leaves come through. After a rejuvenation prune, water the plant, give it good light, and do not feed it until it is growing again. A plant that has been cut back hard needs time, and it will look worse for a few weeks before it looks better.
What not to cut
Do not cut the aerial roots of a monstera deliciosa — they are part of the plant, and cutting them off does no good; if they bother you, guide them back into the pot or onto a moss pole. Do not cut a plant's new growth in winter, when it is dormant and cannot recover. Do not prune a plant that is stressed, diseased, or newly repotted — let it recover first. Do not cut more than a third of a plant at once, and do not prune a fiddle-leaf fig heavily or in winter. And do not throw away healthy cuttings: a pothos, philodendron, or monstera cutting rooted in water is a new plant, and it is the easiest way to fill your home with plants for free. If you are unsure about a diagnosis, a product, or a local rule, check your local extension service — its advice is tailored to your soil, climate, and the pests and diseases active in your area.
Frequently asked questions
When should I prune my houseplants?
In spring, when the plant is growing strongly. Remove dead or damaged growth at any time of year, but do structural pruning only in spring.
How do I make my pothos bushier?
Pinch back the growing tips, cutting just above a leaf node. The plant will branch from the nodes below, and the cuttings root readily in water.
Can I cut back a monstera?
Yes, in spring, but the cut stem will stop growing, so cut only if you are prepared for the plant to branch from below the cut. Remove dead leaves at the base at any time.
Why is my fiddle-leaf fig dropping leaves after pruning?
Fiddle-leaf figs dislike disturbance and may drop leaves after a heavy prune. Prune lightly, only in spring, and remove no more than a third of the plant.
Should I cut off the aerial roots on my monstera?
No. Aerial roots are part of the plant. Guide them back into the pot or onto a moss pole instead of cutting them.