Should You Cut Back Coneflowers in Fall? Here's What Experts Say

Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) are beginner-friendly blooms that are both drought-resistant and easy to maintain. However, like any plant, gardeners have plenty of questions about their care. One frequent query about coneflowers is when to prune them. We asked experts to determine whether you should start cutting back in the fall or wait until spring. Here's what they said.

Benefits of Cutting Back

Cutting back at the right time can be extremely beneficial for your coneflowers. "Leaving old stems can impede healthy new growth," says Niki Jabbour, founder of Savvy Gardening. Removing the old stems can also increase air flow—this will reduce the risk of disease.

When to Cut Back

Should you cut back your coneflowers in the fall? You can actually do it in spring or fall, but it may be better to wait until the spring—leaving them alone in the fall and winter can benefit important wildlife.

"Leaving coneflower seed heads to mature in the garden invites a wide variety of bird species, including chickadees, goldfinches, and blue jays to your yard," says Jabbour. "It's fun to watch them pick apart the densely-packed seed heads."

Leaving coneflowers be during fall can also provide shelter for insects during the wintertime—including beneficial pollinators.

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Exceptions

If disease has set in, then you should always cut back your coneflowers, even in fall. Failing to do so can result in further damage to the plant. Laura Irish-Hanson, a horticulture educator at the University of Minnesota, emphasizes the importance of removing aster yellows, for example.

"It's a phytoplasma that infects many plants in the aster family," she says. "If you have aster yellows, make sure you focus on removing all of the below-ground tissue—the roots and crown."

How to Cut Back

Cutting back coneflowers is a straightforward process. Here's how the experts say to do it, for reference:

• Gather your tools: Use hand pruners or a hori hori knife. The former will have a more "gingerly approach," says Richard Hawke, director of ornamental plant research at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The latter, he notes, "saws through old growth quicker but with less precision."
• Clip the stalks: "I cut them back to about 2 to 3 inches above ground level," says Jabbour. "The new growth will soon cover up the remaining stubs." Make sure not to cut back any new growth that's already appeared.
• Remove the clippings: Jabbour recommends adding them to your compost pile.