The Fall Pruning Trick That Keeps Little Joe Pye Weed Coming Back Every Year

Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) is one of the more charming North American native plants. While many flowers in the genus grow to heights of over 6 feet, the more petite little Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium dubium 'Little Joe') stays as a more manageable 4 feet tall or less, making it far easier for almost everyone to find a spot for it in their gardens. As a perennial, Joe Pye weed returns year after year, and can be easily pruned in spring or late winter or in late autumn to remove dead stems. 

Because Joe Pye weed is an herbaceous perennial and blooms on its new growth each year, you don't have to worry that pruning these dead stems will impact future flowering. For the best winter interest and to provide food sources for birds through the cold months, it's best to only prune your little Joe Pye weed in autumn if it shows signs of disease. Otherwise, you can wait until spring to cut back your plant.

Hardy in zones 3 through 9, little Joe Pye weed thrives in wet rain gardens and other spots with consistently moist soil. It requires full sun to grow its best but can handle part shade as well. In addition to its seeds making a fantastic winter food source for birds, its flowers are also beloved by pollinators through summer months. Whether planted alone or with a companion shrub like the blue-flowering caryopteris, Joe Pye weed can help transform barren garden spots into pollinator hot spots.

Routine heavy pruning of garden plants during fall is becoming a less popular practice as their winter importance for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife is becoming more widely known and appreciated. The eerie elegance of the globes of Joe Pye weed's old blooms also provides winter interest during the months when little is flowering. It's therefore best to simply check the stems of your little Joe Pye weed for any major signs of disease like powdery mildew or other fungi and only prune if there is disease present. If you do need to prune off diseased plant matter in autumn, cut your Joe Pye weed back to a few inches above the crown and be sure to remove the diseased leaves or stems from the area.

If you are able to leave your little Joe Pye weed's stems and spent flowers up all winter, then you can prune them in late winter or very early spring. Because bees and other pollinators like to nest in the hollow stems, it's best to take care of this pruning before they become active for the year. You can cut these stems back to around a foot or two in height or slightly shorter, depending on your preference.