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Should You Cut Back Perennials in Fall?
Sep
As fall settles into Massachusetts, it’s tempting to tidy every garden bed and cut everything back before winter. But when it comes to perennials, a little restraint can actually benefit your garden and the wildlife that depends on it.
Some plants should be cleaned up in fall, while others are better left standing. Knowing what to cut and what to leave can create a healthier garden with plenty of winter interest.
Why Leave Some Perennials Standing?
Faded flowers and dried stems may look finished, but they can continue serving an important purpose long after blooming ends.
Leaving selected perennials standing can:
- Provide seeds for birds
- Offer shelter for beneficial insects
- Create overwintering habitat
- Add texture and structure to the winter garden
- Protect plant crowns during cold weather
- Reduce unnecessary fall cleanup
A garden doesn’t need to be perfectly tidy to be healthy and beautiful.
Perennials Worth Leaving
Plants with sturdy stems, attractive seed heads, or wildlife value are often good candidates to leave through winter.
Consider leaving:
- Coneflowers
- Black-Eyed Susans
- Asters
- Goldenrod
- Sedum
- Ornamental grasses
Their dried flowers and seed heads can provide natural food sources while adding shape and texture to the winter landscape.
What Should You Cut Back?
Fall cleanup is still important when plants show signs of disease or significant damage.
Consider removing:
- Diseased foliage
- Rotting or damaged stems
- Plants with significant fungal problems
- Collapsed or unhealthy growth
- Spent annuals
- Weeds before they produce more seeds
Removing unhealthy plant material can help reduce the chance of certain problems carrying into next year’s garden.
Save Healthy Stems for Beneficial Insects
Some beneficial insects use hollow or pithy plant stems for nesting and overwintering.
Instead of cutting every healthy perennial to ground level, leave some stems standing through winter. You can finish the cleanup in spring as temperatures begin to warm and the garden starts waking up.
Let Ornamental Grasses Stand
Ornamental grasses are one of the easiest plants to leave alone in fall.
Their dried foliage and seed heads provide height, movement, and texture when much of the garden has gone dormant. They can also offer valuable shelter for wildlife.
Most ornamental grasses can be cut back in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
Leave Seed Heads for the Birds
Those faded flowers can become natural feeding stations during the colder months.
Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susans, and other seed-producing perennials may provide food for visiting birds. Leaving some seed heads also brings additional life and activity to the winter garden.
Clean Up Selectively
Fall garden cleanup doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Remove diseased material, tackle weeds, and clean up plants that have become problematic. Then consider leaving healthy stems, seed heads, and ornamental grasses standing.
You’ll have less work to do this fall while creating a garden that continues to provide food, shelter, and interest throughout winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I cut all my perennials back in fall?
No. Many healthy perennials can remain standing through winter, especially plants with sturdy stems or seed heads.
Which perennials should I leave standing?
Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susans, asters, goldenrod, sedum, and ornamental grasses are good candidates.
Should diseased plants be cut back?
Yes. Diseased or badly damaged plant material is generally better removed rather than left in the garden over winter.
When should ornamental grasses be cut back?
Most ornamental grasses can remain standing through winter and be cut back in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
Why should I leave seed heads?
Seed heads can provide food for birds while adding natural texture and winter interest to the landscape.
Visit Fran’s Flowers
Not sure what should stay and what should go? Stop by Fran’s Flowers for perennials, fall gardening supplies, and inspiration for preparing your Massachusetts garden for the changing season.
Fran’s Flowers
1 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01701
Between Kohl’s and Route 9
Fall Hours
Monday to Saturday: 9 AM to 8 PM
Sunday and Holidays: 9 AM to 6 PM