15 Flowers That Bloom Better When You Deadhead Them
Here’s what flowers you should deadhead to boost your flower power.
Some plants in your garden don’t need much attention. They happily flower for the entire season, pushing out new blooms with no help from you. However, many other plants will produce more blooms and look better if you deadhead, or remove old flowers after they fade.
Deadheading may seem like work, but it’s not complicated. When you remove faded flowers, the plant puts its energy into root and bud development, instead of producing seeds. It also can encourage a second (though usually less vigorous) bloom later in the season for some types of plants.
You can deadhead annuals, perennials, and even some flowering shrubs. Simply pinch off faded blooms just below the spent flowers. Plants with sturdier stems may require pruners. In the autumn, you don’t have to deadhead; the seedheads of plants add winter interest to the garden, provide food for wildlife, and offer a place for beneficial insects to overwinter.
You can tackle this job whenever you think about it, even when you’re wandering around your garden enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning. If you do it every few days, it will never become a huge chore. While you don’t necessarily have to deadhead plants if you don’t have the time or inclination, your garden typically will reward you with more blooms when you take a few moments to tidy up.
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Ahead, the flowers you should deadhead for best flower power all season long.
Tickseed
Light: Full sun
These heat and cold tolerant perennials will bloom all season in bright yellows, oranges, pinks and bi-colors. They’re a butterfly favorite so they’re lovely in a pollinator garden. Cut the flowers as they fade to encourage more blooms.
Read more: How to Make a Butterfly Garden
Marigold
Light: Full sun
Marigolds are an old standby in gardens because they’re such easy annuals to grow. If you snip off the spent flower heads, just as they begin to dry, you’ll neaten things up, encourage more blooms, and have seeds you can save and plant for next year’s garden!
Petunia
Light: Full sun
Petunias are an old favorite when it comes to annuals; your grandma probably grew them! While older varieties need deadheading to keep blooming, newer types such as Wave and Supertunia are considered self-cleaning and will keep producing regardless of whether or not you deadhead.
Read more: What's the Difference Between Annuals and Perennials?
Shasta Daisy
Light: Full sun
These sturdy perennials do better when you remove the faded flowers, which may encourage a second (though lesser) flush of flowers. Remove the entire stem to the ground when there are no more buds and it starts to look raggedy.
Blanket Flower
Light: Full sun
These heat-tolerant perennials come in bright, cheerful shades of red, orange, and sunny yellow. Although it’s not necessary to deadhead them, they push out more flowers if you do.
Read more: 26 Full Sun Perennials for Your Garden
Cosmos
Light: Full sun
This cheerful annual produces abundant blooms from summer to the first frost, especially if you trim off the spent blooms back to the main stem. Regular snips will keep the plant branching and producing more pretty flowers all season.
Lavender
Light: Full sun
Lavender is everyone’s favorite summer-blooming perennial for its silvery foliage and scented flowers. Trim off the spent stems when the flower spikes begin to fade, which may encourage a second bloom. Don’t toss what you’ve pruned! Save the flower buds, which still have plenty of fragrance left, to use in sachets.
Read more: Here's How to Grow Lavender Plants
Daffodil
Light: Full sun
These spring-blooming bulbs perform well for years. Once daffodil flowers fade, they begin to form seeds. Snip the stems to the ground so that they divert their energy into the bulbs to produce flowers next spring.
Zinnia
Light: Full sun
These annuals are one of the easiest to grow from seed, and they’re ideal in a cutting garden. Once they start blooming, cut the flowers to enjoy or trim back spent blooms to encourage branching and more flowers.
Read more: How to Design and Grow a Cutting Garden
Butterfly Bush
Light: Full sun to part shade
This flowering shrub, which is a favorite of pollinators, will keep producing flowers all summer on its own, but it does much better (and looks neater) if you trim off spent flowers. This will cause branching and more blooms.
Rose
Light: Full sun
Many types of roses are easy-to-grow and bloom from late spring to frost. Even the most hands-off roses, such as Knock Outs, can be encouraged to bloom more profusely if you snip off the faded flowers.
Read more: How to Grow and Care for Knock Out Roses
Daylily
Light: Full sun
Daylilies are easy-to-grow perennials. They don't absolutely require deadheading, but they do look better if you remove spent blooms. Otherwise, the faded blooms get mushy and detract from the beauty of the remaining flowers on each stem. Be careful not to trim off the other buds when removing the faded ones.
Snapdragon
Light: Full sun to part shade
Snapdragons are pretty annuals that start blooming in the cooler weather of spring. If you pinch off the spent blooms, you can have flowers all season long until a freeze. They’re also a favorite of pollinators.
Read more: How to Grow Snapdragon Flowers
Peony
Light: Full sun
These stunning perennials bloom every spring in lush shades with rich fragrance. Deadheading won’t encourage more blooms, but it will encourage the plant to put more energy into roots and foliage. This can encourage a stronger bloom next year.
Read more: How to Grow and Care for Peonies
Canna Lily
Light: Full sun
Canna lilies are a hummingbird favorite. They have multiple flowers on a stem; when each one fades, carefully snip it off to neaten the plant and encourage new growth and blooms. When all blooms on the entire stem have faded, cut the stem off completely.
Read more: 27 Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden
The Best Flowers for a Butterfly Garden
Country Living Garden Club: English Garden Ideas
What to Do with Peonies After Flowering
How to Deadhead Peonies: Avoid This Mistake
