A very great many, probably a majority, of native shrubs can be pruned very heavily indeed and they will come back quickly even from stumps.

Although I would wait until they of a mature size before doing so.

I agree with Greg I prune almost everything especially Natives as they tend to get very leggy actually the only one I dont prune is my weeping Callistemon..

My twelve Acmena smithii *Lily Pilly* I prune every couple of weeks as the new growth gets bigger as I want it very bushy. I cut my Fiery red Callistemon from 3 mts down to 60 cms and it came back with a vengeance this Winter absolutely beautiful with masses of big red brushes.. Its time to more than prune my Hymenosporum flavum *Native frangipani* but its full of seeds so I will wait till they are ready as I want to give them away..

Prune away as your plants will love you for it.

Thanks. I pruned most by 1/3. They were quite bushy but starting to get a bit see-through if you know what I mean?

I haven't touched the grevillia superb. It has a bushy branch at the bottom an one side, and forks out about 70cm from the ground. It has a ring of foliage just below the main fork and is bushy at the top. It is only about 1m 20 high after 5 years, whereas the others are that size after 3 years.

Do you think I should cut it back below the fork or above, or just tip prune all round like I usually do? I think it is almost as wide as it is high.

Everything is slow here as we are under eucalypts so sun and water are not as plentiful as the plants would like. That is why I am worried about how quickly and bushy they will come back.

I dont like Prunes :) only joking.....

I agree with greg_boyles wait until it is of mature size before you do anything.

P.S. Dont forget to seal the cuts with that stuff you use when pruning a plant.

Maryanne I understand this well.

*Everything is slow here as we are under eucalyptus so sun and water are not as plentiful as the plants would like.*

Same here and I don't seal the cuts with anything..

I never wait till they get mature either otherwise most of the tree would be gone after I was finished with it, or hubby would come along with the chain saw and really fix it up, as after the rain *When we get it * the growth on the Natives is unbelievable in Qld.

Yesterday hubby helped me cut and shape the Grevillea pteridifolia as it has never been a good shaped tree and is pushing one of my standards plants out of the way, I collected heaps of seeds just in case it does not make it.

Superb can be pruned to near ground level during the warmer months. It rejuvenates the plant. Go easy in winter. Most people leave pruning too late and the plants get woody. Prune early and often is the general rule.