Stop Cutting These Plants Back Before Winter! (Your Boise Garden Will Thank You)
October 21, 2026 | News
Before you grab those pruning shears and start cleaning up your garden for winter, there are a few plants you might want to leave alone!
In Boise, fall garden cleanup doesn’t mean cutting everything to the ground. In fact, leaving certain plants standing through winter can help protect beneficial insects, feed birds, and add some much-needed interest to your landscape.
Here’s what to leave standing and what actually needs your attention before winter arrives.
1. Coneflowers (Echinacea)
Those dried coneflower heads might not look as colorful as they did this summer, but they’re still doing important work! Birds, especially goldfinches, love feeding on the seeds throughout fall and winter.
Our tip: Leave the seed heads standing and cut them back in early spring.
2. Ornamental Grasses
Don’t be too quick to chop down your ornamental grasses! Many varieties provide beautiful texture throughout winter, especially when covered in frost or snow.
They can also offer shelter for beneficial insects and wildlife.
Our tip: Leave healthy deciduous ornamental grasses standing until late winter or early spring, then cut them back before new growth begins.
3. Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia)
Just like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans produce seed heads that birds can enjoy long after the blooms have faded.
Their dried stems also provide overwintering habitat for beneficial insects.
Our tip: Skip the fall haircut and leave healthy stems standing until spring.
4. Sedum (Stonecrop)
If you have upright sedum varieties like Autumn Joy, resist the urge to cut them back!
Their dried flower heads add structure to winter gardens and look especially beautiful with a dusting of snow.
Our tip: Leave the flower heads intact through winter and remove old growth when new growth appears in spring.
5. Bee Balm (Monarda)
Bee balm isn’t just great for pollinators during summer. Its hollow or pithy stems can also provide nesting and overwintering habitat for certain beneficial insects.
Our tip: Leave healthy stems standing through winter. If your bee balm experienced significant powdery mildew or other disease, remove affected material instead.
So, What Should You Cut Back This Fall?
Not everything needs to stay! Fall is still a good time to:
- Remove diseased or heavily pest-infested plant material.
- Clear out finished vegetable plants, especially unhealthy ones.
- Remove invasive weeds before they spread more seeds.
- Pick up fallen fruit and other debris that could attract pests.
The goal isn’t a perfectly spotless garden. It’s a healthy one that’s ready for spring.
A Little Less Cleanup, a Healthier Boise Garden
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your garden is simply leave it alone!
By keeping a few perennials standing, you’re helping support local wildlife, protecting beneficial insects, and giving your landscape some winter character.
Not sure which plants in your yard should stay or go? Stop by FarWest Garden Center in Boise! Our knowledgeable team is happy to help you prepare your garden for the colder months ahead.