Garden Flower Gardens 10 Perennials You Should Always Cut Back in the Fall, According to Pro Gardeners Prune now for a healthier, more vibrant garden later. By Samantha Johnson Samantha Johnson Samantha Johnson writes about the happy things in life—pets, gardening, home, family, food, and farm life—and thinks Mondays are the most wonderful day of the week. She spends her spare time reading seed catalogs and taking photos of her napping Corgi. She has over 20 years of gardening experience and is the author of nearly two dozen books. Editorial Guidelines Published on November 8, 2024 Close Photo: Getty Images / schnuddel Late-season garden chores are an essential part of winter preparations, and cutting back certain perennials is one of the most important tasks on that to-do list. Doing so will minimize potential for disease, keep your garden looking tidy, and help prepare for bountiful blooms in the spring. If you don't know where to start, we've done the work for you—here, 10 perennials that experts recommend always cutting back in the fall. Shelley Cramm, award-winning gardening author and founder of the blog Garden In Delight Teri Speight, estate gardener, podcast host, and author of The Urban Garden 12 Plants You Should Never Cut Back in Fall 01 of 10 Bee Balm bg walker/ Getty Images Beautiful and aromatic, bee balm (Monarda) is a favorite of pollinators and a bright spot in any garden. It also benefits from an autumn pruning. “It's best to shape up bee balm at the end of fall to reign in its wildness a bit,” says gardening author and expert Shelley Cramm. “This creates some space, and lets you add compost and mulch more easily.” Zones: 3 to 9Size: 36 inches tall x 8 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil How to Grow and Care for Bee Balm, the Pollinator Plant Your Garden Is Missing 02 of 10 Penstemon AdamLongSculpture / GETTY IMAGES Also known as beardtongue, this colorful and cheery Penstemon is a delight in any garden. “First on my list to cut back in autumn is my favorite pollinator plant, penstemon,” says author and gardener Teri Speight. “This intermittent seasonal blooming perennial has minimal fall-winter interest—so the foliage is a bit tattered by mid to late fall.” Cutting the leaves back after the blooming season is finished, she notes, will allow the crown to remain dry: “This aids in preventing disease and rotting foliage.” Zones: 3 to 8Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x about 30 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun, well-drained soil, happy in poorer soil 03 of 10 Phlox seven75 / GETTY IMAGES Showy Phlox blooms can last late into the autumn season, but once they finish for the year, it’s time to cut them back. “Phlox is known for its powdery mildew issues,” says Speight. “Cutting back the stems removes any diseased, discolored, or damaged foliage from the plant, as well as its surroundings, and decreases the risk of powdery mildew in the next season.” She suggests cutting the stems to a height of 4 to 6 inches to allow air to flow over the crown, which also helps discourage disease. “I don't include the debris in my compost,” she adds. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 24 to 48 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Full to partial sun; moist soil 04 of 10 Daylily Oksana Akhtanina / Getty Images Hemerocallis plants are a spectacular addition to any kind of landscaping around your home. The blooms are wonderful, and the foliage grows tall and thick, happily staying contained in the spaces where you planted it and adding visual interest throughout the year. Go ahead and cut the dead foliage away in late fall, though—it wilts badly after a freeze and quickly loses its aesthetic charm. Don’t worry—new growth will form early in the next season. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 24 to 48 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Full to partial sun; well-drained soil 9 Plants You Should Cut Back in Winter for Lush Growth in Spring 05 of 10 Bearded Iris Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images With its rich colors and impressive blossoms, Iris germanica is a spectacular addition to your garden. In the fall, prune away to get ready for next year. “Another perennial I keep an eye on after bloom time is German Bearded Iris,” says Speight. “Unsightly foliage is a sign of disease or iris borers.” She recommends removing the foliage to a height of 5 to 6 inches in the fall. “I throw away all the diseased or yellowing foliage out of habit, and never put it in my compost,” she says. Zones: 3 to 9Size: Varies; 12 to 36 inches tall x 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil 06 of 10 Yarrow aga7ta / Getty Images One of the prettiest herbs, Achillea millefolium is another perennial that benefits from pruning in the fall. “Yarrow is such a good garden friend,” says Speight. “Cutting back the foliage allows great air circulation, which minimizes the opportunity for disease and rot to set in.” She recommends cutting back the gray, brittle foliage and stems to where the fresh growth begins: "I allow 2 to 3 inches of stem to remain, which protects the crown. If the foliage is not diseased, I add it to my compost pile.” Zones: 3 to 9Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 8 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil 07 of 10 Sedum Grace Cary / Getty Images A “perennial” fall favorite for gardeners, Sedum grows lovely foliage and blossoms that provide excellent late-season nectar for pollinators. You can potentially leave sedum undisturbed for some winter garden structure, but you can also trim the spent stems and foliage back down to ground level. This is especially a good idea if the plant shows any sign of late-season disease or rot. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 24 inches tall x 24 inches wide Care requirements: Full sun to partial sun (depends on variety); well-drained soil See How Martha Plants Sedum—a Fast-Growing Ground Cover That Thrives Almost Anywhere 08 of 10 Joe Pye Weed Danita Delimont / GETTY IMAGES If you’re looking for a statement-making perennial with some impressive height, Eutrochium maculatum won’t disappoint. Once Joe Pye weed has finished blooming for the season and died back, you can cut back and clean up the stems and foliage. Just makes sure to leave several inches—you don’t want to cut it back completely to the ground. Zones: 4 to 9Size: Up to 8 feet tall x 3 to 5 feet wideCare requirements: Full to partial sun; well-drained soil, regular watering 09 of 10 Lavender Pez Photography / Getty Images In addition to its good looks and violet flowers, Lavandula is an herb with all kinds of popular uses, including cooking, teas, and skincare products. You can also grow it solely for its lovely scent and its beauty. Regardless of your intent, lavender may benefit from being cut back in the fall—it can lead to better blossoms for the next year. Zones: 5 to 9Mature size: 12 to 30 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: well-drained soil; full sun How to Grow and Care for a Lavender Plant, One of Martha's Favorite Perennials 10 of 10 Chrysanthemum shunyufan / GETTY IMAGES A staple of any fall garden, Chrysanthemum benefits from cutting back late in fall. “These favored perennials make lovely small shrubs or ground cover in between flowering times," says Cramm. "Be sure to trim away the old, dying stalks for their best appearance.” You can wait until the plant has gone dormant in late fall and then cut it back, leaving a few inches above the ground. Zones: 5 to 9 Size: 2 feet tall x 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit