The 5 Perennials You Should Stop Deadheading in Late Summer, According to a Gardener

If you grow plants in your garden, you know that when certain species begin to decline in growth or quality, it’s often advised to start deadheading.

Deadheading involves pruning old growth, spent blooms and seed heads from plants, per Penn State Extension. There are a few reasons to deadhead plants; namely, because deadheading can help your plant produce new growth or reflower.

This process typically happens in late summer, which is the end of the growing season for many perennials (plants that bloom in spring and summer, lay dormant in fall and winter, and then naturally reflower in the spring).

However, when summer comes to an end, not every plant in your garden should be deadheaded. In fact, there are a number of plants you shouldn’t deadhead in late summer.

To learn more, Parade consulted with Catherine Woods, a gardener and the Garden Coordinator at Envision Unlimited, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides services to members with mental health issues and intellectual disabilities. Woods teaches practical gardening skills to members as part of the organization’s therapeutic horticulture program.