The Flower Gardeners Never Deadhead In October – Leave it for Wildlife, Fall Color and Winter Beauty
Coneflower earns it's place in the yard well after the blooms have faded
A jewel of the late summer garden, coneflowers (Echinacea) brighten borders with their vibrant daisy-like blooms and audience of busy pollinators. Instantly recognised for their flower's distinctive raised, cone-shaped center, they make a striking addition to any cutting garden or prairie-inspired border. However, these plants have way more to offer than just their flowers.
Once summer fades, you may think a coneflower's duty is done, but you would be selling yourself short - not to mention your yard's pollinators and local wildlife. One of the plants never to deadhead, it is well worth rethinking your fall clearing and pruning habits.
Discover exactly why nature lovers and garden experts leave these hardworking perennials standing throughout fall and winter. And if you are tempted to kickstart your coneflower collection, the Eden Brothers Coneflower Seed Mix is the perfect place to start.
Why Birds Will Flock To Coneflower Seedheads
While coneflowers bring vivid color, height and structure to the late summer and fall border, they have much more to give than floral joy.
Kelly Funk, President & CEO, Jackson & Perkins explains, 'The dried cones become a natural feeding station for birds through winter, while the standing stems and seedheads give the garden texture, height, and structure at a time when much of the landscape has gone dormant.'
As the petals fade, each central cone hardens, forming a bristly and protective seedhead that is packed with dozens of brown, wedge-shaped seeds. Highly prized as a plant for birds such as chickadees, blue jays, cardinals and finches, coneflower will quickly become a popular destination.
'Coneflower seeds are packed with fat and protein, which makes them especially valuable to birds preparing for long flights or cold nights,' explains Co-Owner of Dutch Grown, Ben Rotteweel. 'American goldfinches are the headline visitor. They cling sideways to the stems and pick seeds out one by one, and because goldfinches nest later than most songbirds, sometimes into August, they time their broods to match the seed crop that ripens in fall, feeding their late families through the first weeks of flight.'
Echinacea purpurea is known to produce the most seed, find Magnus Purple Coneflower and PowWow White Coneflower both at Nature Hills and read up on the best plants to grow around a bird feeder for an all-you-can-eat bird seed buffet.
Food for Other Wildlife
It's not solely birds that feast on coneflower's seeds. Although known to be a rabbit and deer resistant plant, smaller mammals appreciate these plants.
'Mice, squirrels, and chipmunks also gather the seeds to stock them through winter. The seeds are a high fat food source that can sustain them through colder weather,' says Nikki Bruner, horticulturalist at Perfect Plants.
A classic example of why over-tidying your yard in fall is bad for hibernating wildlife, it's good to know that now is the time to clear paths and patios of fallen leaves (this handheld leaf blower from Lowe's makes it easy) but to leave borders and quiet corners untouched.
Intact Seedheads Provide More Than Bird Food
Having matured and hardened over the summer, coneflowers provide valuable protection for numerous beneficial insects and creatures, as well as vital food. Rigid stems, rough leaves and the plant's clump-forming nature all create useful habitat, along with these winter plants for wildlife.
'The standing cones act as an insulating cap over the plant's crown, and provide habitat structure for native bees that overwinter in hollow or pithy stems,' continues Ben. 'Predatory insects like lacewings and lady beetles also shelter in the plant debris, and go on to help control aphids once the garden wakes up in spring.'
Upscale your garden's offering for hibernating species by learning how to attract wildlife to your yard in fall plus the DIY wildlife shelters to make before the first frost. Want to level up further - then fix up this wooden Squirrel House With Feeding Shelf from Walmart.
A Tactile Feast For The Eyes
Besides their ecological value, weathered coneflowers add striking shape and texture to winter borders. Mixed in with soft bleached grasses, such as Karl Foerster Feather Grass and Prairie Dropseed from Garden Goods Direct the result can be just as rich and stimulating as any summer display.
'Upright seedheads earn their keep visually. Dark, sculptural cones rising above frost or a light dusting of snow give borders a silhouette and rhythm that bare, cut-back beds simply don’t have, texture and movement in a season most gardens go quiet,' says Ben.
Knowing when to cut back coneflowers is really a matter of personal preference, but experts have this advice.
'Spring is generally the best time for the major cleanup,' advises Mary Phillips, Head of Native Plant Habitat & Certifications at the National Wildlife Federation. 'Wait until daytime temperatures are consistently above 50°F for at least seven consecutive days so overwintering wildlife has had time to emerge.'
She also adds, 'If a storm has damaged coneflowers and they need to be tidied in a visible area, they can be trimmed down to 12 - 18” and still provide valuable habitat. The trimmed stems and foliage can be left in place as mulch or moved to a less visible area.'
Signs of disease and powdery mildew are another important reason to clear away plants. 'There are real exceptions to the "leave it be" rule: Aster yellows is the serious one,' says Ben.
'A phytoplasma spread by leafhoppers causes disfigured, chlorotic leaves, stunted stems and distorted flowers, and because the organism multiplies in the roots over winter, symptoms worsen every year. It isn't curable, so any plant showing it should be dug out and thrown away, never composted.'
What To Shop
We're sure, like us, you are now appreciating these gorgeous flowers anew and are looking fill your yard. Use the winter months to seek out the very best coneflower varieties and explore the perennials to plant in April for flowers and wildlife.
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Meet the Experts
Mary is Head of Native Plant Habitat & Certifications at the National Wildlife Federation, is an ambassador for native plants. Her work ensures all habitat programs and resources are rooted in sustainable practices and the latest science.
Nikki is a Marketing & Horticulture Specialist at Perfect Plants Nursery, a family-owned online nursery with roots dating back to 1980. She combines horticultural knowledge with practical gardening advice to help home gardeners successfully grow and maintain their landscapes.
Ben is the Co-Owner of Dutch Grown, along with his brother Pete. Founded in 1882 , the company has been in his family for four generations and proudly supplies greenhouse owners, private gardeners, botanical gardens and landscapers with flower bulbs worldwide.
Kelly is the president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins, a renowned online nursery with roots dating back to 1872 and a storied reputation for cultivating exceptional roses. A passionate gardener herself, Kelly brings hands-on knowledge and a deep appreciation for plants to her leadership. Under her guidance, Jackson & Perkins continues to thrive as a trusted name for gardeners who value beauty, quality, and the joy of growing.
