12 Perennials You Should Cut Back This Fall And Why!
As summer fades and the cool, crisp days of fall approach, your garden begins to shift gears. Many gardeners take this time to tidy up their beds and prepare plants for the winter months ahead.
While some perennials can be left standing until spring, others need to be cut back to promote health, control pests, and encourage better blooms in the next season. Below, we’ve rounded up 12 essential perennials you should consider cutting back this fall and why it’s beneficial to do so.
1. Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Daylilies are garden favorites due to their colorful blooms and resilience. By the time fall arrives, however, their long leaves often turn brown and die back. Cutting them down to the ground in the fall helps prevent any fungal diseases from overwintering in the plant’s decaying foliage.
Trimming daylilies also keeps your garden neat and gives you a clean slate for spring growth.
Why Cut Back?
- Prevents fungal infections.
- Keeps garden tidy.
- Encourages fresh, healthy growth in spring.
2. Bee Balm (Monarda)
Bee Balm’s vibrant flowers attract pollinators like bees and hummingbirds during the summer, but as fall approaches, its stems become unsightly and may harbor mildew or other diseases.
Cutting Bee Balm back to the ground eliminates the spread of powdery mildew, a common issue for this plant, and ensures stronger growth in the next season.
Why Cut Back?
- Reduces powdery mildew risk.
- Discourages pests.
- Promotes more robust spring growth.
3. Peonies (Paeonia)
Peonies are the crown jewels of the garden in late spring and early summer, but their foliage can harbor diseases like botrytis blight as the season progresses.
Cutting back peonies in the fall is crucial to remove any disease spores from the foliage, preventing them from overwintering and affecting the plant the following year.
Why Cut Back?
- Prevents fungal diseases like botrytis.
- Ensures a healthier plant next season.
- Promotes a clean, disease-free garden.
4. Hostas (Hosta spp.)
Hostas are beloved for their lush, broad leaves, but as the weather cools, these leaves often turn brown and collapse. When left over winter, decaying Hosta foliage can harbor pests like slugs, which can wreak havoc on your plants come spring.
Cutting them down in the fall helps prevent these problems and keeps your garden looking neat.
Why Cut Back?
- Reduces the risk of pests.
- Prevents the spread of diseases.
- Tidies up the garden for winter.
5. Irises (Iris spp.)
Irises are stunning in bloom but are prone to diseases like iris borer and bacterial soft rot, which can devastate their rhizomes. Cutting the foliage back to about 3-4 inches above the ground in the fall helps to avoid these issues, ensuring that pests and diseases don’t overwinter in the plant.
Why Cut Back?
- Protects against iris borers and bacterial rot.
- Encourages strong, healthy growth in spring.
- Improves garden aesthetics in the offseason.
6. Columbine (Aquilegia)
Columbine’s delicate, nodding flowers are a spring favorite, but as summer winds down, they tend to develop leaf miners and other pests that can damage the plant.
Cutting them back in the fall can remove these pests before they have a chance to burrow into the plant and overwinter, safeguarding next year’s growth.
Why Cut Back?
- Eliminates pests like leaf miners.
- Keeps plants disease-free.
- Prepares the plant for a strong spring comeback.
7. Yarrow (Achillea)
Yarrow is a hardy perennial known for its clusters of tiny flowers, but after blooming, its stems can become woody and unsightly.
Trimming back Yarrow in the fall not only improves your garden’s appearance but also promotes more compact, bushy growth the following season, keeping the plant healthier and less prone to flopping over.
Why Cut Back?
- Encourages compact growth.
- Reduces the chance of disease.
- Improves the plant’s structure.
8. Veronica (Speedwell)
Veronica offers beautiful spikes of flowers throughout the summer, but once they fade, the plant becomes leggy and prone to mildew. Cutting back the stems to ground level in the fall encourages healthy regrowth and reduces the chance of mildew developing over the winter.
Why Cut Back?
- Prevents mildew buildup.
- Encourages healthy regrowth in spring.
- Keeps garden neat and tidy.
9. Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Phlox is prone to powdery mildew, especially during hot, humid summers. If you’ve had any issues with mildew on your Phlox plants, cutting them back to the ground in the fall is essential to stop the disease from spreading.
Removing the old stems ensures your Phlox comes back stronger and healthier next year.
Why Cut Back?
- Prevents powdery mildew.
- Encourages healthier, more vibrant growth.
- Controls disease spread in the garden.
10. Catmint (Nepeta)
Catmint’s silvery foliage and purple flowers are a striking addition to any garden, but after blooming, the plant can become a bit unruly. Cutting Catmint back in the fall ensures that it doesn’t become too leggy and also reduces the chance of pests overwintering in its dense foliage.
Why Cut Back?
- Prevents leggy, overgrown plants.
- Reduces pest issues.
- Ensures a neater, tidier garden bed.
11. Coreopsis (Tickseed)
Coreopsis is a long-blooming, low-maintenance perennial, but after its flowers fade, the stems can become thin and prone to disease. Cutting Coreopsis back in the fall encourages denser growth next year, helping the plant remain compact and healthier throughout the growing season.
Why Cut Back?
- Promotes denser, healthier growth.
- Controls disease.
- Improves the overall appearance of the plant.
12. Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
Lamb’s Ear is known for its soft, silvery leaves, but it often becomes leggy and unkempt by the end of the season. Cutting it back in the fall ensures fresh, healthy regrowth in spring and prevents fungal diseases from taking hold in its dense, moisture-retaining foliage.
Why Cut Back?
- Encourages fresh, healthy regrowth.
- Prevents fungal diseases.
- Keeps the plant tidy and controlled.
Final Thoughts on Fall Garden Care
Fall is the perfect time to tidy up your perennials, ensuring they come back healthier and more vibrant in the spring. While not every plant requires cutting back in the fall, focusing on these 12 perennials will help you control pests, prevent disease, and keep your garden looking beautiful year-round.
Grab your pruners, head to the garden, and give these plants the attention they need to thrive next season! By investing time in fall maintenance, you set the stage for a healthier, more manageable garden next spring. Happy gardening!
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