"Eggs Zachtly" wrote
The Addison's said:

These are not the evergreen type,
they are the hedges that have stiff branches with leaves.

That narrows it down to, oh, several thousand possibilities.

Point being, the type of plant as well as the time of year, will determine
if it's time to prune, and how much you can cut them back. You'll need to
be more specific on the plant species and your location. Is a linked pic
possible?

How about a burning bush in metrowest Boston Massachusetts - can it be
trimmed now?