Gardeners in warm climates can treat fall, and sometimes even winter, as supplemental growing seasons. But for gardeners who experience hard winters, fall is a great time to get a head start on garden clean-up. We hear a lot about four seasons of interest in the garden, but this rarely applies to perennial plants. Most perennials turn ugly as the temperatures drop and any plant that is diseased, infested, or otherwise in poor condition should certainly be cut back and disposed of rather than leaving them to over-winter.
However, some perennials simply don’t fare well if they are pruned too late in the season. They need the winter protection provided by their fallen leaves to help them survive. These 43 plants are best pruned in spring.
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Artemisia (Artemisia spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Often known by the common names wormwood or mugwort, most species in the Artemisia genus don’t like being pruned in the fall. The growth that results is too tender to survive the winter and the dieback is often enough to kill the whole plant. Instead, clean up these plants in early spring.
Artemisia plants can be aggressive to the point of invasiveness. Make sure to control it if you choose to plant it in your garden.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a-9a
- Color Varieties: Yellowish-brown or gray (flowers are fairly insignificant)
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained
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Aster (Aster x frikartii, Aster spp. ,Symphyotrichum spp.)
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
While there are some pure species in the Aster genus cultivated in the garden, most garden varieties are hybrid cultivars derived from a cross between A. amellus and A. thomsonii. They are known collectively as Aster x frikartii, named after the Swiss hybridizer who developed them. Other species of asters fall into the Symphyotrichum genus.
These fall-blooming asters have generally been pinched and forced several times throughout the growing season. Once they are finally allowed to bloom, they appreciate being left alone to recuperate until spring. Several bloom so late into the fall that the question of fall clean-up becomes moot.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a–8a (varies by species and variety)
- Color Varieties: Lavender, purple, pink, white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Astilbe (Astible spp., hybrids)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Astilbe plants don’t require much maintenance. Long considered a shade plant, newer cultivars are available that thrive in full sun. Fall clean-up is unnecessary and may weaken the plant’s tolerance for cold. Minimal spring clean-up is required.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3b–9a
- Color Varieties: Pink, red, white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Loamy, slightly acidic
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Autumn Joy Sedum (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude')
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Once a member of the Sedum genus, this very familiar garden plant is now categorized in the Hylotelephium genus as H. 'Herbstfreude' (Autumn Joy), though it is often still sold as a Sedum or stonecrop. Like other tall sedums, this plant can remain attractive throughout the winter, even holding caps of snow on its flower heads. Birds will also continue to eat the seeds as long as they are present.
‘Autumn Joy’ in particular holds up very well through the winter. The basal foliage appears very early in spring, so sedum can be one of the first plants you prune after winter.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–10a
- Color Varieties: Rosy pink, turning rust red
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained
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Aven (Geum spp. and hybrids)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Geum genus includes about 50 species, several of which are native wildflowers in North America. These plants often are known as avens, but individual species may have other common names. Prairie smoke, for example, is the common name for Geum triflorum, a common North American wildflower. Several common hybrid varieties are common garden plants, such as 'Fire Storm', Totally Tangerine', and Banana Daiquiri'.
Aven plants are clump-forming perennials with dark green leaves with scalloped edges. They bloom on long wiry stems in spring and early summer and sometimes rebloom in fall. The plants can remain semi-evergreen throughout winter, so no fall pruning is necessary, especially if you’ve been deadheading and cleaning up dead leaves during the growing season.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5b–7a
- Color Varieties: White, red, yellow, orange (depends on species and cultivar)
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Although Aurinia fares best and lives longer if sheared back after flowering and not allowed to go to seed, the foliage can be evergreen in mild winters. There doesn’t seem to be any benefit to cutting it back until spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–7a
- Color Varieties: Yellow
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry, sandy to average, well-draining
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Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
You may need to cut back old, dying bear's breeches foliage throughout the growing season, but the new healthy growth remaining in the fall could well remain evergreen throughout the winter, depending on weather conditions. In cold climates, leaving the growth in place over winter offers valuable protection to the plant.
Three principal species go by the common name bear's breeches: Acanthus balcanicus, A. mollis, and A. spinosis. They have similar cultural needs.
- USDA Growing Zones: 7b-10a
- Color Varieties: White flowers with purple bracts
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained
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Bellfower (Campanula spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Various Campanula species go by the common name "bellflower." Some popular ones include Campanula portenschlagiana (Dalmation bellflower), C. rapunculoides, creeping bellflower), and C. persicifolia (peach-leaved bellflower).
Most campanulas get sheared back at some point during the summer to clean up ugly or damaged foliage and encourage another flush of blooms. The fresh basal foliage that results should be left through winter so as not to encourage more tender growth in the fall.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a–8b
- Color Varieties: Lavender, blue, white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Although not particularly attractive in winter, black-eyed Susan seed heads will provide plenty of food for birds. The remaining seeds will readily germinate the following spring and propagate volunteers in the garden.
Several other members of the Rudbeckia genus also offer winter benefits to birds, including R. fulgida (orange coneflower), R. triloba (brown-eyed Susan), and R. maxima (large coneflower).
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–9a
- Color Varieties: Yellow with dark brown centers
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Blue Beard/Blue Mist (Caryopteris x clandonensis)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Depending on the climate, blue beard can be grown either as a woody shrub or a semi-woody perennial that dies back annually. When grown as a perennial, it can be very sensitive to cold and shouldn't be cut back until tree buds begin to green up in the spring. When spring arrives, trim it back quite early to 6 to 10 inches, as the plants will bloom in mid to late summer on new growth.
- USDA Growing Zones: 6b-9a
- Color Varieties: Blue, purple; pink cultivars are also available
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Blue star is a clump-forming perennial that produces clusters of star-shaped blue flowers in mid to late spring. It holds its shape better if sheared by about one-third after flowering. You’ll lose the seed pods, but you’ll prevent rampant self-seeding. However, after this initial shearing, Amsonia responds better to being cut back in the spring, rather than the fall. Spring pruning seems to rejuvenate it.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–9a
- Color Varieties: Blue
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Moist, loamy
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Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Butterfly bush is another shrubby plant that is often grown as a perennial in colder climates, where it dies back to the ground and returns in the spring. When grown as returning perennial, leave the stems and foliage in place through the winter, which will lessen winter kill. When signs of green appear at the base in spring, cut the plant back to 6–10 inches.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a-9a
- Color Varieties: Shades of purple; pink, blue, white, yellow cultivars are also available
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Although butterfly weed is a prolific self-seeder and should be deadheaded if dozens of new plants are not wanted, it winters better if the foliage is allowed to protect the crown.
Butterfly weed is a native to North America that blooms in mid to late summer, immediately luring butterflies and other pollinators with its nectar-rich flowers. It grows to about 2 feet tall.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–9a
- Color Varieties: Orange, yellow
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry, well-drained
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Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Although cardinal likes moist soil, it doesn’t like sitting in cold, wet soil all winter. Leaving the foliage and flower stems intact protects the plant from some of the ravages of winter, so it's best to hold off clean-up until spring. At that point, you can trim the damaged areas or simply cut them back to the ground.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–9a
- Color Varieties: Red; pink, white cultivars are also available
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Rich, moist
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Coral Bells (Heuchera hybrids)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Coral bells are prone to heaving in soils that freeze and thaw. Leaving the foliage intact helps to mulch the plants through winter.
Most garden varieties of coral cells are complicated hybrids derived from H. sanguinea, H. americana, H. micrantha, H. villosa, and H. cylindrica. These hybrids are considerably more tolerant of full sun than most of the original species, which are largely shade-lovers.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a–9a
- Color Varieties: Red, coral, pink, white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Rich, moist but well-drained
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Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
In warmer climates, Euphorbia can become a shrub and it’s fine to leave the plant alone until spring and then clean out the dead foliage. In colder climates, simply cut the plant back to its base in the spring. This plant freely self-seeds, so make sure to deadhead spent flowers if you want to prevent this.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a–8a
- Color Varieties: Yellow bracts
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry, well-drained
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Delphinium (Delphinium elatum)
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
The most popular perennial species in the Delphinium genus is D. elatum, a designation that indicates hybridized forms of the plant. The pure species delphiniums are rarely grown as cultivated garden plants.
Garden delphiniums are fairly finicky, short-lived perennials. Gardeners sometimes give up on growing them as perennials, but plant them as annuals for the spectacular blooms that cover tall flower stalks.
If you want to successfully grow Delphiniums as perennials, remove the flower stalks in fall but allow the foliage to remain until spring. This will maximize your chances of the plant returning in spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a-9a
- Color Varieties: Blue, purple
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Evenly moist, well-drained
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Dianthus (Dianthus spp.)
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Dianthus is a large genus that includes many annual and perennial plants, but the perennial species most popular in garden cultivation include D. plumarius, D. superbus, and D. deltoides. Perennial dianthus plants go by many common names, such as pinks, sweet William, and carnation. In regions where they die in winter, they are often grown as annuals.
Most Dianthus plants can remain somewhat evergreen throughout the winter and nothing is gained by cutting back in the fall. In fact, in borderline zones, the extra insulation offered by the dead foliage may allow the plants to return in the spring when they would otherwise be grown as annuals. All Dianthus plants will still need some clean-up in the spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a-9a
- Color Varieties: White, purple, red, pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Rich, well-draining, slightly alkaline
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Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The common name of this plant derives from the foamy pinkish-white flowers that bloom in spring for up to six weeks. Tiarella cordifolia enjoys the cool days of fall and may remain evergreen throughout the winter, so unless it will be covered in snow, it's best to leave the foliage in place until spring arrives.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–8a
- Color Varieties: White, with pink accents
- Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade
- Soil Needs: Rich, loamy
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Foxglove (Digitalis spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Digitalis genus includes some species that are reliably perennial, as well as short-lived biennial forms. Perennial foxgloves, such as D. lutea and D. grandiflora (yellow foxglove), are usually pruned back after flowering and produce a rosette of basal growth that is generally left in place to protect the roots until spring when it is pruned away to make room for new growth.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a-9a
- Color Varieties: Yellow, pink, orange
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Fringed Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia)
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
Fringed bleeding heart is the native North American wildflower cousin of the showy Asian bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis). Although the crowns of fringed leaf bleeding heart like to be high enough in the soil to be protected from dampness, the foliage is slight enough to leave for the winter and it almost disappears by spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–9a
- Color Varieties: Rosy pink to purplish-red
- Sun Exposure: Part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Gas Plant (Dictamnus albus)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Gas plant, sometimes known as dittany, is a clump-forming perennial that blooms from late spring into summer. The seed heads of the gas plant can look attractive well into fall and winter, but the real reason to cut back in early spring is that the sap that irritates gardeners' skin is not as pronounced during the plant’s dormant stage.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–8a
- Color Varieties: White, pink, lavender, red
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Gayfeather (Liatris spicata)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Gayfeather, also known as blazing star, is another plant that is more sensitive to cool, wet soil than to cold temperatures. When left standing over winter, the seed heads provide food for the birds and may self-seed to make up for any plants that don’t survive. This native North American wildflower is famous for its ability to lure butterflies and other pollinators.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–8a
- Color Varieties: Reddish purple
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Globe Thistle (Echinops spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Two species in the Echinops genus are garden plants commonly known as globe thistles: E. ritro (small globe thistle), and E. bannaticus (globe thistle). Several other species are also available (E. sphaerocephalus and E. gmelinii) but they are less common as garden plants.
Much like coneflowers, Echinops will respond well to pruning in July, producing more flowers and sturdier plants that will stand for the winter and feed the birds. The plant’s winter survival seems improved if not cut back hard in the fall.
- USDA Growing Zones: 2a-8a
- Color Varieties: Blue
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Heartleaf Bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Heartleaf bergenia is a clump-forming plant normally used as a spreading ground cover for shady areas. Pink flowers rise as sturdy stalks in early spring. The shiny round leaves of Bergenia remain evergreen in mild winters, and even cold-damaged leaves can remain an attractive bronze color through the winter. Clean-up winter-damaged foliage in spring, only as needed.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3b–8a
- Color Varieties: Deep pink
- Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade
- Soil Needs: Humusy, well-drained
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Italian Bugloss (Anchusa azurea)
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
Italian bugloss is a member of the borage family, a short-lived perennial that grows 3 to 5 feet tall and produces loose spikes of flowers in late spring to early summer.
Anchusa plants look better and self-seed less if sheared back after flowering. Anchusa can be sheared back to the crown since its foliage declines rapidly after flowering. But after this, allow the plant to recover and don’t cut again until spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–8a
- Color Varieties: Blue to violet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
When a plant is bred from a common weed, you can usually assume that it doesn’t need much care to survive. Joe Pye weed, native to eastern and central North America, is a tall plant (4 to 7 feet) that will bloom well into the fall and then produce fluffy seed heads. You can cut it back if you choose, but it’s not necessary for the plant’s survival. Birds such as chickadees will continue to feed on the seed heads well into winter.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3b-8a
- Color Varieties: Mauve pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Moist, humusy
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Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Lady's mantle is a mound-forming perennial with light green, circular leaves with scalloped edges. Stems of chartreuse flowers rise above the foliage in late spring to early summer. Lady’s mantle doesn’t like to be sheared back frequently. Occasional shearing or selective de-leafing may be necessary because of sun scorch, but lady’s mantle will overwinter better if left intact and cleaned up in the spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3b–8b
- Color Varieties: Chartreuse
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
There’s no point in trying to clean up lamb’s ear for the winter. Let it be and remove winter damage when the leaves perk up in the spring. In borderline zones, leaving the foliage in place will provide some protection to the crowns of the plant. Spring cleanup will be an easy matter of loosely raking up dead foliage.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a–9a
- Color Varieties: Light purple (flowers are not showy)
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture to dry soil, well-drained
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Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
There are several species of lavender that serve as great aromatic shrubby plants in the garden, blooming through the entire summer. Many areas have a hard time over-wintering lavender. The problem is more often moisture than cold, but cold is a factor. Don’t prune lavender late in the season, as new growth is extremely cold- sensitive. Wait until new growth appears in the spring before removing winter dieback.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a–9a
- Color Varieties: Purple
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, alkaline
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Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Lavender cotton is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with aromatic gray-green foliage, flowering with yellow blooms in summer. It is a great plant for dry conditions but does not like moist soils or humid conditions.
Lavender cotton plants need time to harden before winter. Don’t prune at all after mid-August and wait until new growth appears in the spring before pruning.
- USDA Growing Zones: 6b-9a
- Color Varieties: Yellow
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry, with very good drainage
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Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Also known as plumbago, leadwort is a low-growing ground cover perennial that produces blue flowers from mid-summer to mid-fall. There’s not much left to these plants as winter sets in, but many gardeners like to leave it standing to identify its location since new growth is late to emerge in spring.
This plant is an aggressive grower, however, and pulling unwanted plants out if fall may be advised if you want to limit its spread.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a–9a
- Color Varieties: Blue
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, acidic (fairly good tolerance for dry soils)
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Lupine (Lupinus)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
There are several species in the Lupinus genus, but the common garden lupines are mostly hybrids, designated as Lupinus × hybrida. Most of these hybrids are derived from crossing Lupinus polyphyllus, a North American native, with various other non-native species.
Garden lupines are generally short-lived perennials that are somewhat temperamental to grow. The flower stalks can be trimmed back after the blooms fade (this may prompt a second fall bloom), but leave the foliage in place to protect the root crown. This will improve the chances for the plant to survive the winter, especially in colder climates.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a-8a
- Color Varieties: White, pink, red, yellow, blue, purple, bicolors
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Rich, evenly moist, slightly acidic
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Mums (Chrysanthemum)
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
The profusely blooming florists mums are generally nursery-grown potted plants that don't do well when planted in the garden. But there are several hardy mums that are designed for garden use. These late summer and fall bloomers can be cut back to 6 inches or so in warmer climates to continue growing, but in colder climates, it is best to leave the foliage in place to protect the root crowns over winter. Cutting back the plants severely will simulate late new growth, which will be very susceptible to winter kill.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a-8a
- Color Varieties: Gold, white, off-white, yellow, bronze (rust), red, burgundy, pink, lavender, purple
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining
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Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa columbaria)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Scabiosa genus includes several annual and perennial species of pincushion flowers. S. columbaria is one of the most common perennial types, a mound-forming 2-foot-tall plant that produces white, pink, blue, or purple flowers from May to September. You can remove old flower stems from the pincushion flower, but this plant is so temperamental that leaving the old foliage may be the only way you will know where the plant was planted when spring comes. In warmer areas, where it is hardier, the foliage may be evergreen.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a–9a
- Color Varieties: White, pink, blue, purple
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Loamy, evenly moist, well-draining
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Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
The Spruce / K. Dave
Purple coneflower is a North American prairie native. While the flower heads are not particularly attractive in winter, wild birds will certainly find them appealing for the edible seeds. If you’d like both birds and aesthetics, you can always prune your coneflowers in July and get squat, sturdy plants that will provide seeds without flopping.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–8a
- Color Varieties: Purplish pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained
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Red-Hot Poker (Kniphofia spp. and hybrids)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Kniphofia genus includes several species that go by the common name red-hot poker plant, including K, uvaria, K. galpini, K. northiae, K. rooperi, and K. thomsonii. More common as garden plants, however, are the many hybrids and cultivars derived from a complicated cross-breeding of these species.
You can trim back the foliage on red hot poker plants as it begins to decline, but don’t cut it back entirely. The crown is very sensitive to cold and leaving a clump of foliage will help protect it through the winter. Trimming by half will keep the foliage from completely flopping over and retaining too much moisture around the crown.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a–9a
- Color Varieties: Combinations of red, yellow, orange
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Red Valerian (Valeriana rubra)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Red valerian, sometimes known as Jupiter's beard, is a bushy, woody-based perennial renowned for its ability to thrive in poor soils. Showy blooms of white, pink, or crimson are produced from spring to frost.
Cutting valerian back to about 6 or 8 inches in late summer and then leaving that new growth over winter increases the plant’s chance of survival, but the spent flowers should be deadheaded if you want to control the rampant self-seeding.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5b–8a
- Color Varieties: Pale to dark red
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Sandy, well-drained; does not like wet soils
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Russian Sage (Salvia yangii)
The Spruce / K. Dave
Like its cousin, lavender, Russian sage doesn’t like to be trimmed back in the fall, because its tender growth is sensitive to cold. Wait until new growth appears in the spring and then cut back to about 6 to 8 inches. If the only new growth is from the base of the plant, the entire top woody section has died back and it can be pruned to the ground.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a-9a
- Color Varieties: Blue
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture to dry, well-drained
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Sea Lavender (Limonium spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Limonium genus has more than 100 species, many of which are known as sea-lavender. They bear no relation to the common lavender herb, however, but are instead related to the leadwort/plumbago group of plants. Most types have pink, lavender, or purple flowers that bloom in mid to late summer. The most common species of sea lavender for garden use are L. platyphyllum and L. sinuatum. The name "sea lavender" comes from this plant's fondness for sea marshes.
The flowers are held so high on this airy plant that it’s easy to forget the cluster of leaves at the base. Go ahead and forget them. Let them be for the winter and clean up any die-back in the spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a-9a
- Color Varieties: Lavender blue
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
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Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Several species of the Coreopsis genus are commonly known as tickseed. Among them are C. tripteris (tall tickseed), C. Rosea, (pink tickseed), C. pubescens, (star tickseed), C. grandiflora (large-flowered tickseed), C. auriculata (ear-leaved tickseed), C. major (greater tickseed), C. lanceolata (lance-leaved tickseed), and C. verticillata (threadleaf tickseed).
All species of coreopsis seem to fare better if allowed to stand during the winter and cleaned up in the spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4a–9a
- Color Varieties: Yellow to orange; some pink varieties available
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Varies by species; most prefer dry to medium moisture, well-draining soil
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Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii)
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Turtlehead is a clump-forming perennial that has hooded flowers that resemble those of snapdragons. It favors moist environments and does not do well in dry soils. Keeping the foliage on until spring seems to improve turtlehead's winter survival. The flower heads, however, should be deadheaded as they fade.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–8a
- Color Varieties: Pink, purple, or white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Rich, moist
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Wandflower (Oenothera lindheimeri)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Oenothera lindheimeri goes by several common names, including wand flower, bee blossom, guara, and Indian feather. Whatever you call it, wandflower is such a short-lived perennial that allowing the flowers to remain so they might self-seed may be the only way you’ll see another plant pop up in the garden next spring.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a-9a
- Color Varieties: White, pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Sandy loam, well-drained