McKay Nursery’s Suggestions: Handling established perennials that we grow & how to treat them for winter Amsonia/Blue Star – cut back fall or spring Aster – cut back fall or spring Astilbe – leave up for fall if you like to see the dried flower heads, or cut back fall or spring Butterfly Weed – cut back fall or spring Beebalm – trim to ground in fall and remove all leaves. Bleeding Heart – pull off dried leaves and stems after frost kills down. Brunnera – pull off dried foliage after frost kills it (prevents any leaf disease from over wintering on plants) Butteryfly Bush (a woody ornamental that is treated as a perennial here) – cut back in spring only Caryopteris (a woody ornamental that is treated as a perennial here) – trim back in spring only Catmint – cut back fall or spring Columbine – pull off dried foliage after frost kills it in either fall or early spring. Coneflower – leave seed heads up to feed birds, or fall or spring cut back Coreopsis – leave up for fall and cut back in spring only Daylily – cut back and pull off all foliage in fall (prevents any leaf disease from over wintering on plants or rodents from building in the old leaves) Fern – leave up for fall, cut back in spring Geranium – cut back in fall or spring Goldenrodleave up for winter interest, cut back either fall or spring Grasses – please leave all up for fall and don't cut back until spring, enjoy all winter. Heuchera (Coral Bells) and Heucherella – best left alone until spring, then in spring pull off only dried leaves, don't cut way back. Hosta – pull off old foliage after frost kills the leaves in fall, but wait until dried and it can be pulled and you don’t have to cut it Iris – cut back in fall or spring Jacob’s Ladder – cut back in fall or spring Ladysmantle – cut back fall or spring Lamium/Deadnettle – lightly rake off in spring Liatris /Blazing Star – cut back fall or spring Lungwort – cut back fall or spring Peony – cut back in fall very close to the ground and remove all stems and leaves Phlox – cut back in fall and remove all old foliage (prevents any leaf disease from over wintering on plants). Rudbeckia – cut back in fall or spring (the seed heads are great little bird feeders, but if they had diseased foliage, it’s best to cut off in fall and remove in fall) Russian Sage – cut back in spring Salvia– cut back fall or spring Sedum – cut back in fall or spring (look great in winter if you leave the taller varieties up)