As the air turns crisp and leaves begin to fall, it’s tempting to tidy up your garden by cutting back all your plants. But wait! Not all plants appreciate a fall pruning. In fact, cutting back certain plants in autumn can damage or even kill them.
Pruning stimulates new growth that won’t have time to harden off before winter, leaving plants vulnerable to cold damage. It can also remove spring flower buds and reduce winter interest in your garden.
Here are 15 plants you should never cut back in the fall.
1. Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)
Coral bells are known for their colorful foliage that looks great from spring through fall, and even into winter in milder climates. Avoid the urge to cut back their leaves in fall, as this foliage helps protect the plant’s crown from winter damage.
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Instead of fall pruning, simply tidy up coral bells by removing any dead, damaged, or diseased leaves in early spring. This will make room for fresh growth without leaving the plant vulnerable during the cold months.
2. Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
Coneflowers bloom prolifically from summer through fall, adding vibrant color to the garden. But their appeal doesn’t end when the flowers fade. The seed heads of spent blooms provide food for birds like goldfinches, bluejays, and cardinals well into fall and winter.
Consider leaving coneflower stems standing until spring to support wildlife and add textural interest to your winter garden. If you prefer a tidier look, you can still cut coneflowers back in fall without harming the plants – just be sure to leave some seed heads intact for the birds.
3. Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.)
Like coneflowers, black-eyed susans are another native wildflower that attracts birds with its prominent seed heads. Goldfinches especially love dining on black-eyed susan seeds in the fall and winter months.
Leaving black-eyed susan stems and seed heads standing not only supports biodiversity but also adds striking visual interest to the winter landscape. The dark seed heads look beautiful against a backdrop of snow.
If you want to neaten things up, consider cutting some stems for dried flower arrangements and leaving the rest for the birds.
4. Mums (Chrysanthemum spp.)
Garden mums are the quintessential fall flower, blooming in vibrant autumnal hues. But as beautiful as they are, mums should never be cut back in the fall. They actually need their fading foliage to help protect the plants through winter.
Mums are only marginally hardy in many areas, so they appreciate extra insulation during the cold months. Leave mum stems intact so they can collect fallen leaves and snow around the plant’s base for protection. Wait to prune old stems back until after the danger of frost passes in spring.
5. Montauk Daisies (Nipponanthemum nipponicum)
Montauk daisies are another fall-blooming perennial that shouldn’t be cut back in autumn. Much like mums, these late-season bloomers need their spent foliage to help them survive the winter.
The old stems and leaves of Montauk daisies help insulate and protect the crown of the plant, improving its chances of making it through until spring. Resist the temptation to prune, and instead, allow the faded foliage to shelter your Montauk daisies until spring arrives.
6. Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
With its licorice-scented leaves and spikes of purple flowers, anise hyssop is an attractive addition to the garden. However, this perennial is only marginally hardy and needs protection to overwinter in colder zones.
To help anise hyssop survive the winter, leave the stems intact so they can trap insulating snow and leaves. In the spring, you can prune out any winter-damaged stems to make room for new growth.
7. Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses provide four seasons of interest in the landscape, even after their foliage dies back. The dried plumes and blades add height, texture, and movement to the winter garden. Many grasses also take on beautiful golden hues after going dormant.
Resist cutting ornamental grasses back in the fall and leave them standing for winter impact. Enjoy how the plumes catch snow and frost, or use the dried foliage in arrangements. Wait until early spring to cut grasses back, just before new growth emerges.
8. Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia spp.)
Red hot poker sends up tall spikes of fiery, tubular flowers that bloom from summer into fall. While the flowers are striking, this South African native is only borderline hardy in many climates and needs extra protection to survive cold winters.
To help insulate your red hot poker, allow the spent flower stalks to remain standing over winter. The old foliage will trap snow and leaves around the plant’s base where it is most vulnerable to cold damage. Prune away the old growth in spring after the threat of frost is gone.
9. Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
Upright sedums like ‘Autumn Joy’ offer multi-season appeal, with succulent foliage in summer and fall blooms that age to attractive seed heads. The dried flower heads add textural interest to the winter garden.
Leaving stonecrop standing not only looks great through the snowy months but also helps support beneficial insects. Many insects lay eggs or overwinter on the plant’s old stems. Wait to cut stonecrop back until spring, when you see green growth starting to emerge.
10. Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.)
Joe Pye weed is a tall, native perennial that blooms in large mauve flower heads in late summer and fall. After the flowers fade, the seedheads remain attractive well into winter.
Consider leaving Joe Pye weed standing until spring to add height and structure to the winter garden. The dried flower heads look stunning dusted in snow or frost. Birds may also appreciate the seeds. In spring, cut old stems back to make way for new growth.
11. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Butterfly weed is a native milkweed that serves as a vital host plant for monarch butterflies. In fall, this perennial develops attractive seedpods that split open to release silky-haired seeds.
Avoid cutting back butterfly weed in fall, as the seedpods add winter interest and may provide a place for beneficial insects to overwinter. Birds also love the seeds. Wait to prune old growth until spring, but mark the plant’s location as it is late to emerge.
12. Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)
Siberian iris offers more than just spring flowers. In the fall, this rugged perennial develops elongated, blackish seedpods that look striking in the winter landscape, especially against a backdrop of snow.
Leave the Siberian iris standing until spring to enjoy the sculptural seedpods. The old foliage will also help collect leaves and snow around the plant’s base for insulation. Cut back the old growth in early spring, before new shoots appear.
13. Hellebores (Helleborus spp.)
Hellebores, also called Lenten roses, are low-growing evergreen perennials that bloom in late winter and early spring. They keep their foliage all year round, even through the coldest months.
Since hellebores are evergreen, there’s no need to cut them back in the fall. Pruning late in the year can actually damage the plant and inhibit flower production. If you need to tidy up your hellebores, wait until early spring and only remove tattered or winter-damaged leaves.
14. Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
Lavender is a shrubby herb with fragrant foliage and flowers. This Mediterranean native is sensitive to cold and wet conditions, making it vulnerable to winter damage, especially if pruned in the fall.
Avoid cutting back lavender in autumn, as this can stimulate tender new growth that won’t survive the winter. Instead, wait to prune your lavender until spring, after you see green buds starting to swell on the stems. This will give you a better idea of which stems are dead and need to be removed.
15. Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
Catmint is a rugged, drought-tolerant perennial that blooms abundantly from late spring through summer. The gray-green foliage is semi-evergreen and looks great even after the flowers fade.
Since catmint keeps some of its foliage through winter, there’s no need to cut it back in the fall. The remaining leaves help protect the plant’s crown. If the foliage starts to look shabby late in the season, you can trim it back lightly, but avoid cutting the plant back hard until spring.
While it’s tempting to cut back all your plants in fall, many perennials are better left standing until spring. Leaving the old foliage in place can protect plants from winter damage, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and add visual interest to the garden during the dormant season.
So put your pruners away until spring and enjoy the unique beauty your garden has to offer in winter.
Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.