What
Remove the leaves of H. orientalis to the ground in January and February, being careful not to damage the stems of the emerging flowers. This is done to prevent disease from spreading and so you can see the flowers better. We usually leave the plant alone for the first two years.
H. niger is a true evergreen, so only remove the leaves that look bad.
H. argutifolius and H. foetidus have biennial stems that produce flowers in their second year. After they flower these stems can be cut to the ground and new shoots will have already emerged.
Note: When you cut the stems back don
H. orientalis , more properly referred to as H. x hybridus, are very popular winter blooming plants for us. The forms we see offered are actually a complex strain of 16+ species utilized to form a group that just gets better and better each season thanks to the breeding work of so many people around the world. Many of which live here in the Pacific Northwest!