A lot of my time spent in maintaining my summer garden is spent in deadheading. I’m always looking for plants that don’t need their dead flowers removed to put in my garden beds.
Some plants, like daylilies, are very easy to deadhead. Their blooms are soft and come away from the plant stem easily. Others require shears, which is one of the reason people don’t enjoy the task.
We all love to garden but some chores are not our favorites, for sure. Deadheading flowers is at the top of my “not so popular” list. How about you?.
Gardeners use this term to describe the time they spend taking off old flower blooms so the plant can keep blooming longer.
If you don’t get rid of the spent flowers, many plants that bloom again will just get messier and stop flowering.
So, deadheading is a garden task that occupies a lot of time for most gardeners. One plant that needs to have a lot of deadheading done to get rid of old flowers is the rose.
A lot of annuals and many perennials will keep flowering all season long as long as you pick off the old flowers. Deadheading makes for a better looking plant and a longer flowering season.
This means that the plant is putting its energy into making seeds instead of flowers. So to direct that energy to blooms, just deadhead!.
As a gardener, few sights compare to a flowerbed bursting with colorful blooms. But keeping flowers looking their best often requires tedious deadheading – the process of pruning faded blossoms. While deadheading encourages reblooming in many plants, some flowers couldn’t care less about having their old blooms plucked away.
Luckily, more and more varieties are being bred to bloom freely without needing deadheading. Keep reading to learn about 15 carefree flowers that will keep pumping out blossoms whether you snip off the spent flowers or not.
What is Deadheading?
Deadheading describes cutting off flowers once they fade and die. It redirects the plant’s energy into producing new buds instead of setting seed. While deadheading brings some plants a new lease on life it can be a time-consuming chore.
Gardeners debate if deadheading is absolutely necessary. Though it neatens up appearance, some plants bloom happily either way. And leaving seed heads provides food for birds come winter.
Why Avoid Deadheading?
Here are some reasons you may want to skip deadheading:
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It’s time-consuming and tedious. Less deadheading means more time enjoying your garden!
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Some plants self-sow if not deadheaded, giving you free plants.
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Seed heads provide winter food for birds.
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Risk of damaging plants by incorrect pruning.
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No benefit to plants that bloom nonstop without deadheading.
15 Flowers That Don’t Need Deadheading
Luckily, plant breeders are increasing the ranks of carefree bloomers that spare you from deadheading duty. Here are some to try:
1. Angelonia
Sometimes called “summer snapdragon,” angelonia produces spikes of orchid-like flowers all season without deadheading. Look for the Archangel® series.
2. Bacopa
Also known as sutera, bacopa trails gracefully from containers with delicate white, pink, or blue flowers. The blooms appear spring through fall without pinching back.
3. Begonia
Wax begonias and other modern begonia hybrids are known for bountiful blooming not interrupted by deadheading. Try the BabyWingTM or Santa CruzTM series.
4. Bidens
Sun-loving bidens bears loads of bright daisy-like blooms well into fall, no deadheading needed. Simply give it full sun and well-drained soil.
5. Diascia
A cousin to snapdragons, diascia flaunts sprays of rose, orange, or pink flowers from spring till frost. Modern varieties are self-cleaning and bloom nonstop.
6. Lobelia
Compact edging lobelia produces vibrant blooms all season long without any attention. Just be sure to provide rich, moist soil.
7. Million Bells®
Also sold as calibrachoa, Million Bells® petunias tumble gracefully out of containers with no deadheading required. Just water when dry.
8. Nemesia
Dainty nemesia bears loads of blooms resembling snapdragons or orchids all season, no deadheading needed. Give it full sun.
9. Osteospermum
Sold as African daisies, osteospermum flowers keep coming once they start. New growth hides old blooms, so no deadheading is needed.
10. Pelargonium
Now bred to bloom continuously without shearing back, today’s geraniums spare you deadheading chores. Stick with modern hybrids.
11. Pentas
Star-shaped pentas flowers keep popping up in shades of pink, red, or white from spring through fall with no deadheading required.
12. Petunias
Once high-maintenance, most new petunias now bloom their heads off all season without any deadheading needed. Go for Supertunia®.
13. Scaevola
Fan flowers produce loads of bi-colored blooms nonstop from spring to frost. Give scaevola full sun and let it spread as a carefree ground cover.
14. SunPatiens®
Vigorous SunPatiens® impatiens laugh off diseases plaguing old-fashioned impatiens. They also bloom freely all season with no deadheading.
15. Verbena
Durable verbena withstands heat and drought while pumping out flowers. Skip deadheading and let verbena spread as a hardy ground cover.
When shopping for flowers, look for words like “nonstop blooms” or “self-cleaning.” That indicates deadheading isn’t needed to keep flowers coming. Go for modern hybrids and steer clear of old-fashioned varieties that require rigorous maintenance.
Beyond skipping deadheading, minimize garden drudgery by selecting low-maintenance perennials suited to your climate and growing conditions. Drought-tolerant plants need less watering, while deer-resistant varieties avoid pesky browsing.
Gardening should be fun, not a chore! Choosing easygoing flowers lets you kick back and enjoy their beauty without laborious deadheading.
Million Bells
The name “million bells” for Calibrachoa gives you an idea of how it doesn’t need to be deadheaded. Since the gardener has to remove the spent flower heads all the time, the plant can’t really have a million bells, can it?
This pretty plant looks like mini petunias and attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds.
Angelonia
This self cleaning plant has dead foliage that dries up and disappears. It comes in many different colors.
25 Low Maintenance Flowers That Don’t Need Deadheading
FAQ
What flowers do you not deadhead?
What annuals do not require deadheading?
Are there petunias that don’t need deadheading?
What flowers don’t need deadheading?
If you want to save yourself from the hassle, grow these Flowers that Don’t Need Deadheading! 1. Stonecrop 2. Madagascar Periwinkle 3. Leopard Plant 4. Astilbe 5. Baptisia Australis 6. New Guinea Impatiens 7. Nemesia 8. Begonias 9. Impatiens 10. Angelonia 11. Million Bells 12. Russian Sage 13. Waterhyssop 14. Twinspur 15. Spanish Needles 16.
Do I need to deadhead old flowers?
Some plants naturally drop old flowers when they fade, while others self-sow and produce new, free plants for your garden if you don’t deadhead old blooms. Find out which plants don’t need deadheading and make your flower garden easier to maintain.
Do you need to deadhead self-cleaning flowers?
1. Astilbe ‘One of the self-cleaning flowers that you don’t need to deadhead is Astilbe. It’s got tall flower stalks and beautiful foliage, making it a great low-maintenance addition to your garden. You can leave the old flower stems to just dry on their own, as deadheading won’t encourage a longer bloom.
Can You Deadhead a flower stem?
You can leave the old flower stems to just dry on their own, as deadheading won’t encourage a longer bloom. Although, you may want to remove them to just make the plant look tidier.’