In article , Kay
writes

The two extremes are probably willow, which re-shoots very easily, and
therefore is often pollarded or cut to ground level, especially if
you're after young shoots for basket work or for their winter colour;
and conifers, which don't like throwing new shoots, so if cut back
either just grow the branches they already have or, if cut right back to
the ground, die.


I cut back a 4 foot variegated Cornus about three years ago, to about a
foot. It 'bled' profusely with a white sticky sort of substance and
never really recovered. So, although books say shrubs such as dogwood
van be pruned back severalty to encourage coloured shoots in the winter,
I guess not all of them like severe hacking!

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk