October can be a great time to do some maintenance in your garden—but there are some perennials you should definitely avoid pruning. This is due to several reasons. Often, these plants provide a habitat or resources for beneficial bugs and birds; pruning in fall may also encourage new growth, which won’t survive the winter.
To help you avoid any less-than-favorable scenarios for your garden as winter approaches, we spoke to experts about the perennials they say you should avoid pruning in October.
Teri Speight, landscape gardener, gardening coach, podcast host, and co-author of The Urban Garden
Niki Jabbour, founder of Savvy Gardening and the author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener
Kate Walz, horticulturist, garden consultant, garden and floral designer, and owner of KW Gardens and Flowers
Coneflower
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Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) are an important resource for wildlife, especially in the winter, so cutting them back in October can be detrimental.
“I consider coneflowers to be DIY bird feeders,” says Niki Jabbour, founder of Savvy Gardening. “After the summer flowers fade, the large cones mature into rounded seed heads. Leaving these in the garden provides cold season interest, and it’s fun to watch the chickadees and finches pick out the tiny seeds.”
Instead, prune them in late winter or very early spring. Teri Speight, landscape gardener and co-author of The Urban Garden, recommends leaving at least 3 to 4 inches of the stem in order to protect the crown of the plant.
Black-Eyed Susan
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Leave black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia hirta) alone in October. Like coneflowers, they’re an important food source for birds. Kate Walz, horticulturist and owner of KW Gardens and Flowers, recommends cutting them back in early spring instead, “when fresh green shoots emerge at the base.”
Be aware that these perennials do self-sow. “When I cut the plants back the following spring, I look for new seedlings that may be growing too densely or close to the original plants,” says Jabbour. “These are dug up and moved to a better spot.”
Russian Sage
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Russian sage (Salvia yangii) will continue to provide visual interest during the winter months. Pruning it in October can have adverse effects, making it susceptible to root rot. It also provides food for birds.
“A good mulch around the root zone ensures the crown of this plant survives during winter weather extremes,” says Speight. “Be careful to ensure no mulch is directly in contact with the stems.”
She recommends cutting back in spring, which will help shape it and encourage a “bushier, strong plant for the new season.”
Hellebores
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Katrin Ray Shumakov / Getty Images
Hellebores (Helleborus) can weather the cold with ease—but not if you cut them back in October. The plant’s foliage serves an important purpose: “Cutting the leaves in fall can expose the tender flower buds to frost injury and rot,” says Walz.
Instead, she recommends cutting back in late winter, around February. Remove the old, leathery leaves to make room for new blooms.
Sedum
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Sedum’s dried flower heads “look beautiful in the snow, and they protect the crown from moisture and cold,” says Walz. So it’s best not to cut back in October just before winter rolls around.
She says to cut back in late winter or early spring, right before new growth emerges.
Coral Bells
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retrofutur / GETTY IMAGES
Coral bells (Heuchera) add beautiful color to your winter garden; cutting them back in October can have negative effects beyond just aesthetics.
“The foliage helps protect the sensitive crown, while lessening the chances of heaving in the midst of winter temperature changes,” says Speight. She recommends mulching during winter, as the plant has shallow roots.
When spring comes, you can go in and cut back any foliage that’s been damaged during the winter—ideally before new growth begins.
Lavender
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Pez Photography / Getty Images
Cutting back lavender (Lavandula) in October will encourage new growth that won’t survive the winter.
“Pruning without allowing time for freshly cut stems to harden off will expose the plant to cold temperature extremes, as well as other winter weather,” says Speight.
She recommends pruning in early spring. “Think of Mediterranean environments when using this plant,” she adds: “Minimal water, heat, and good drainage.”
Milkweed
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Alleksander / Getty Images
Milkweed (Asclepias) is a critical plant for butterflies, and cutting it back in October can make it less beneficial to important insects.
“Their stems are hollow and offer a safe overwintering site for many native species of bees and other beneficial insects,” says Jabbour. “Birds like Baltimore orioles use the fibrous strands from the stems to make their nests.”
After winter is over, you can trim back any debris in mid to late spring. By that point, overwintering insects will have left.
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