Which plants should never be deadheaded?
Written by
Kiana Okafor
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.Removing spent blooms, also known as deadheading, is advantageous for many plants, yet some flower species exhibit the opposite reaction to deadheading. Coneflowers, milkweed, and sunflowers function as decoration in the garden for humans, as well as food for wildlife. One year, I removed all my spent blooms and realized I had also removed most of the bird activity from my yard during the winter by doing this.
Coneflowers
- Goldfinches feast on seeds through winter
- Sturdy stems provide perches in snow
- Leave 8-12 inches of stalk for nesting material
Milkweed
- Monarch butterfly larvae overwinter in pods
- Seed floss insulates insect eggs
- Avoid cutting until early spring
Milkweed's dried flowers are not unattractive - they have neurotic moths in a survival-safe room. Monarch's chrysalis is hanging from hollow stems, which I would have called "ugly." Then, every spring I say I won't clean the previous year's garden until April to give the caterpillars a chance to come out, one less opportunity for them to be killed. I am learning messy gardens often nurture the most viable life.
Aim for balance with beauty and nature. Deadheading roses encourage blooms, while leaving standing coneflowers becomes a bird feeder. I now leave my sunflowers up until February, and I can count juncos and chickadees feeding, too! Beauty is not limited to petals but also chirps and flutters.
Read the full article: How to Deadhead Flowers for Continuous Blooms
