Let Your Perennials Stand Tall This Fall
by Meghan Kohlmann
With winter approaching, most individuals are tempted to tidy their landscapes by cutting back their perennials– but what if I told you your garden hasn’t lived out its fullest potential just yet? Those very same plants, if left standing throughout the winter, can provide vital resources for our local pollinators and wildlife.
One of the primary reasons not to cut back perennials in the fall is to provide shelter for insects. Many beneficial pollinators, including bees, butterflies and moths, rely on plant debris to survive the winter months. Hollow stems, seed heads, and dead foliage can offer safe spaces for insects to overwinter, helping to ensure they emerge in spring ready to pollinate.
In addition to shelter, plants left standing provide a source of food for birds and other wildlife. Seed heads from perennials like Echinacea and Rudbeckia become an important food source in the winter months for Sparrows, Chickadees and other small birds.
Beyond the benefits to our native wildlife, leaving perennials in place helps enrich your gardens biodiversity! The presence of old stems and leaves provide for structural integrity, protecting the soil from wind erosion and supporting healthier microclimates for beneficial fungi, insects and soil organisms.
On top of these ecological benefits, leaving your perennials intact also allows for enhanced winter interest in your garden. Consider ornamental grasses as an example – in the winter, these beauties take on a striking, sculptural appearance in the snow, offering texture, color and movement. Allowing these plants to stand tall enhances your garden’s aesthetic appeal year-round, turning a winter landscape into a beautiful, dynamic scene.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule! Perennials which are prone to foliar diseases, such as certain types of Paeonia, Phlox or Monarda may benefit from being cut back in the fall. These plants can harbor fungal spores or disease pathogens in their decaying leaves, which could potentially reinfect the plant the following season. By cutting these back before the winter, you help reduce the risk of diseases taking hold and you allow your garden to live up to its fullest potential come springtime!
Below is a list of perennials we recommend you let stand tall this fall:
- For structural, seasonal interest in the garden: Allium, Amsonia, Baptisia, Calamintha, Heuchera & Ornamental Grasses
- For shelter & food source purposes to wildlife: Asclepias, Asters, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Solidago
Here is a list of perennials we DO recommend cutting back:
- To limit the overwintering of powdery mildew: Achillea, Astilbe, Hemerocallis, Monarda, Paeonia, Phlox
