Some older plants are so full of leaves and thin branches that they bear poor quality flowers.
Others carry leaves burned by winter wind and low temperatures, making the shrubs look sickly. The best time to prune camellias is after they flower each year. Enjoy the blooms, then prune. The new growth begins soon after the blossoms fade, explained Jan McNeilan, consumer horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Camellias can benefit from pruning every few years, to stimulate new growth and thin out some of the twiggy growth and to allow sunlight to penetrate the interior of the shrub.