Cutting Back and Deadheading Native Perennials

Two gardening practices, cutting back and deadheading, can keep native perennials looking their best through the growing season. 

• Cutting back involves either pinching out the growing tips and first set of leaves of a plant or trimming away a larger portion of its stems, reducing their length by up to half. This practice, which can be done once or several times from late spring until early July, promotes a bushier, more compact plant and prevents flopping and the need for staking. 
• Deadheading involves the removal of spent flowers and can stimulate rebloom in some plants to extend their flowering season. This practice can also be used to reduce the spread of plants by self-seeding.

This table lists many common native perennials and indicates which practices may be of benefit in maintaining them. The scientific name for each plant is linked to the relevant fact sheet when one is available.

Plant	Cutting Back	Deadheading
Anise Hyssop Agastache foeniculum	Can cut back in early spring to 2″ to encourage branching & compact shape	Deadhead to extend bloom time
Aromatic Aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium	Cut by 1/2 in mid-June to create dense, full plant
Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis		Cut declining stems to evergreen basal foliage
Blazing Star Liatris spicata		Deadheading may induce rebloom Cut entire spike to basal foliage OR Retain seedheads for interest & birds
Blue Vervain Verbena hastata	Pinch tips to encourage bushy habit	Trim back spent flowers & foliage regularly each month in summer Retain seedheads for birds
Blue Wild Indigo Baptisia australis		Trim 1/3 after bloom to avoid staking OR retain showy seed pods
Blue-stemmed Goldenrod Solidago caesia	Pinch back in May to create more heavily branched growth	Retain stems for interest & birds OR cut to prevent unwanted spread
Butterfly-weed Asclepias tuberosa		Deadhead for rebloom Remove follicles to control spread Delay removal of dead flowers/foliage that may harbor Monarch larvae
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis	Pinch or cut back before flowering to produce more compact plants	Retain seedheads to encourage new seedlings; plant is short-lived
Coastal Plain Joe-pye-weed Eutrochium dubium	Pinch in early June when 3′ to create fuller plants OR Cut back by 6″ in early June to produce shorter plants Also applies to other Joe-pye-weeds	Deadheading not necessary Retain seedheads for interest & birds
Culver’s-root Veronicastrum virginicum	Cut back by 1/2 in May or early June for more compact, self-supporting plants	Deadhead to extend bloom Cut declining stalks to basal foliage
Dwarf Crested Iris Iris cristata		Remove old blooms promptly after flowering
Eastern Blue-star Amsonia tabernaemontana		Can shear back by 1/2 after flowering to prevent flopping Protect hands from irritating milky sap
Eastern Prickly-pear Opuntia humifusa	Requires little very maintenance
Eastern Red Columbine Aquilegia canadensis		Deadhead to prolong bloom Prune empty seed follicles to keep tidy Cut declining foliage to base
Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia		Deadheading may produce sporadic rebloom later in season
Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata	Cut back by 1/2 in mid-May for shorter plants	Deadhead to prolong bloom Thin by 1/3 to reduce powdery mildew Cut infected plants to ground & discard
Golden Ragwort Packera aurea		Remove flowering stems after bloom before seeds scatter to control spread
Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica	Pinch back in early July
Green-and-Gold Chrysogonum virginianaum		Cut old flower stems to basal foliage to prolong bloom, for neater look
Hairy Alumroot Heuchera villosa		Deadhead to stimulate rebloom Basal foliage is evergreen Also applies to Alumroot
Jacob’s Ladder Polemonium reptans		Remove faded flower stems Becomes dormant in drought
Moss Phlox Phlox subulata		Shear back by 1/2 after flowering to prevent opening in center in summer
New England Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	Cut by 1/2 to 2/3 inearly to mid-June to reduce height & avoid staking Also applies to New York Aster	Thin to increase air circulation
New York Ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis	Cut back by 1-2′ to control height	Retain seedheads for interest & birds
Orange Coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida		Long bloom period w/o deadheading Retain seedheads for interest & birds OR cut to prevent aggressive seeding
Oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides	Cut back by 1/2 in May to avoid staking More support needed in shade	Deadhead for rebloom on older plants Retain seedheads for birds
Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea		Retain seedheads through winter for birds
Robin’s Plantain Erigeron pulchellus		Trim to ground level in the fall
Rough-stemmed Goldenrod Solidago rugosa	Cut back by 1/2 in early June to reduce height & avoid staking	Retain stems for interest & birds OR cut to prevent unwanted spread
Scarlet Beebalm Monarda didyma	Cut back by 1/2 in early May and 1/3 before bloom to reduce height Also applies to Wild Bergamot	Thin stems to reduce powdery mildew Cut any diseased foliage to base and discard – do not compost
Short-toothed Mountain-mint Pycnanthemum muticum	Pinch back in early spring	Thin to increase air circulation Deadhead through season to extend bloom
Solomon’s Seal Polygonatum biflorum		No deadheading required Pull off dead stems after killing frost
Spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana	Cut back by 1/2 in early May to prevent flopping	Deadhead to new lateral buds Cut declining foliage to ground; new lush foliage emerges w/in 3 weeks
Spotted Beebalm Monarda punctata	Pinch off tips several times to promote branching	Deadhead to prolong bloom time
Stoke’s Aster Stokesia laevis		Deadhead to new lateral buds Cut entire stalk at base after flowering Basal foliage is evergreen
Sundrops Oenothera fruticosa		Shear by 1/3 after flowering Cut declining foliage to evergreen basal rosette
Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata		Remove follicles to control spread Delay removal of dead flowers/foliage that may harbor Monarch larvae
Swamp Rose-mallow Hibiscus moscheutos	Pinch growing tips at 4″ and 8″ for bushy plants	Deadhead individual flowers to avoid mush – watch for resting bees! Retain seedheads for interest Also applies to Scarlet Rose-mallow
Threadleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis verticillata		Deadhead for continued bloom or shear mid- to late summer for rebloom
Turk’s Cap Lily Lilium superbum	May need staking for support
Virginia Blue Flag Iris virginica		Snip off fading flower stalks at base
White Turtlehead Chelone glabra	Pinch in early spring when 6″ tall to reduce height, especially in shade	Can deadhead or retain seedheads
White Wood Aster Eurybia divaricata	Shear plant to 6″ in early summer to produce more compact plant	Retain seeds for birds
Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum		Deadheading not necessary Shear back to reshape when foliage declines and yellows in summer
Wild Pink Silene caroliniana		Shear off spent flowers/seed capsules Basal foliage is evergreen
Wild Stonecrop Sedum ternatum	Once established, little maintenance is required
Woodland Phlox Phlox divaricata		Shear to low green foliage after flowering to prevent powdery mildew
Yarrow Achillea millefolium	Cut back by 1/2 before flowering in early June	Deadhead to encourage rebloom