24 Flowers That Don’t Need Deadheading – Self Cleaning Plants

This list of flowers that don’t need deadheading is a helpful tool for gardeners interested in reducing time spent on garden maintenance.

Deadheading is the process of pinching off faded or spent flowers. It makes the plants look better and encourages them to rebloom. Many plants like to be deadheaded, but there are also plenty of popular plants that don’t need deadheading.

Some of the plants that don’t need deadheading have self-cleaning flowers, which shed their faded blooms without you having to do this job. Others may have ornamental seedheads that provide food for wildlife. 

Keep reading for a list of 24 low-maintenance flowers that will make gardening easier this summer.

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List of flowers that don’t need deadheading

This list of low-maintenance plants that don’t require deadheading includes perennials, annuals and tender perennials that are normally grown as annuals.

Perennials that don’t need deadheading

The perennial plants in the list below will come back year after year, without deadheading.

Stonecrop (Sedum)

Sedum only flowers once a season, so you don’t have to remove its flowers to encourage reblooming.

Since the seedheads are attractive in their own right, many gardeners allow them to remain on the plant right through the cooler months to attract birds in the winter.

• Plant type: Perennial (succulent)
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late summer through early fall
• Hardiness zones: 3-10

Purchase sedum plants at Mountain Crest Gardens.

Blue cardinal flower (Lobelia siphilitica)

Lobelia siphilitica will drop flowers on its own, and self-seeds readily. It is deer-resistant and can tolerate shade well.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full sun to partial shade
• Bloom time: Mid-summer to early fall
• Hardiness zones: 4-9

Buy live blue cardinal flower plants here.

Joe Pye weed – (Eutrochium purpureum)

The flowers of Joe Pye weed are attractive after they have faded. They appear later in the season, so there is no need to deadhead them.

If you want lots of butterflies in your garden, plant Joe Pye weed.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full sun to partial shade
• Bloom time: Late summer to fall
• Hardiness zones: 3-9

Purchase bare root plants of Joe Pye weed here.

Periwinkle (Vinca minor)

Vinca is a popular choice for ground cover because of its rapid growth habit and self-cleaning flowers.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Partial sun to full shade
• Bloom time: Spring to early summer, reblooms in fall
• Hardiness zones: 4-9

Purchase periwinkle bare root starter plants here.

Candy corn plant (Cuphea micropetala)

Cuphea is a self-cleaning plant that attracts pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Summer to fall
• Hardiness zones: 7b-10b

Purchase candy corn starter plants here.

Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis)

After the self-cleaning flower of Baptisia australis drop, the plant develops purple pods that rattle in the wind. The pods are decorative, so no deadheading is necessary.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
• Hardiness zones: 3-9

Buy a live starter plant of blue false indigo here.

False goat’s beard (Astilbe)

Astilbe’s plumes are decorative as they dry, so there is no need to deadhead this plant.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full shade to partial sun
• Bloom time: Late spring to late summer
• Hardiness zones: 3-9

Purchase astilbe starter plants here.

Blanket flower (Gaillardia)

Gaillardia is a low-maintenance plant that attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies. While not strictly a self-cleaning plant, it doesn’t need deadheading to continue blooming.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring to fall
• Hardiness zones: 3-10

Get live blanket flower plants for your garden here.

Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

Bleeding heart plants will propagate themselves by self-seeding if you leave the spent blooms on the plant. For this reason, you should not deadhead them.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Partial shade to full shade
• Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
• Hardiness zones: 3-9

Buy seeds for bleeding heart plant here.

Blue star creeper (Laurentia)

Laurentia has star-shaped flowers with a mounding habit. They are drought-tolerant and resistant to both deer and rabbits.

The flowers of Laurentia will drop away naturally, so you don’t need to deadhead them.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
• Hardiness zones: 6-8

Purchase seeds for blue star creeper here.

Blue star (Amsonia)

Amsonia is one of the few true blue flowers. It does not need deadheading, and if you leave the seed pods on when they are finished, they add winter interest to your garden.

• Plant type: Perennial
• Sunlight needs: Full sun to partial shade
• Bloom time: Mid-spring to early summer
• Hardiness zones: 4-9

Purchase live Amsonia plants here.

Tender perennials and annuals that do not need deadheading

Many annuals and tender perennials need deadheading before being replanted each year. However, the 13 low-maintenance plants listed below don’t require any deadheading.

Cape Jewels (Nemesia)

This self-cleaning annual is known for its fragrant and vibrant blooms that come in a variety of colors. 

• Plant type: Generally grown as annuals
• Sunlight needs: Full sun to partial shade
• Bloom time: Spring to late summer
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

Buy seeds for Nemesia here.

Wishbone flower (Torenia)

Torenia is a shade-tolerant annual with wishbone-shaped flowers, which give the plant its common name. It is deer resistant and blooms all season long without the need for deadheading.

• Plant type: Annual
• Sunlight needs: Partial sun to full shade
• Bloom time: Late spring through fall
• Hardiness zones: 10-11

Purchase seeds for wishbone flower plant here.

Butter daisy (Melampodium)

This low-maintenance annual cleans itself by dropping its flowers without the need for deadheading. It is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant.

• Plant type: Annual
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring to fall
• Hardiness zones: N/A

Purchase butter daisy seeds here.

Fan flower (Scaevola aemula)

Fan flower is a self-cleaning plant that can withstand temperatures in the triple digits. The flowers are fan-shaped and look as though they have been cut in half. 

• Plant type: Tender perennial, mainly grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Spring to fall
• Hardiness zones: 10-11

Buy a live fan flower plant here.

Busy Lizzie (Impatiens ssp.) and New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri)

All Impatiens are self-cleaning, so you don’t need to deadhead their faded blooms. They are shade-loving plants, but the New Guinea version is larger and can tolerate a bit more sunlight than the regular Impatiens can.

• Plant type: Tender perennial often grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Partial shade (New Guinea impatiens can tolerate more sunlight)
• Bloom time: Late spring to early fall
• Hardiness zones: 10-11

Buy a live New Guinea impatiens plant here.

Begonias (Begonia spp.)

Many varieties of begonias are low-maintenance plants that clean themselves. Rex begonias, wax begonias, dragon wing begonias, and angel wing begonias don’t need to be deadheaded.

Tuberous begonias, on the other hand, benefit from deadheading.

• Plant type: Tender perennial, mainly grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Bright light but not direct sunlight
• Bloom time: Early summer to late fall
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

Purchase a live dragon wing begonia here.

Shrub verbena (Lantana)

Lantana is an invasive plant. Sterile versions (which don’t produce seedheads) have been bred to help combat this plant’s spreading habit. With these varieties, deadheading is not necessary. 

However, other types of Lantana (which do produce seedheads) will benefit from having their blooms removed.

• Plant type: Tender perennial, often grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring until the first frost in fall
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

Buy live Lantana plants here.

Mini petunia (Calibrachoa)

Unlike regular petunias, the blooms of mini petunias do not require deadheading. The foliage of  Calibrachoa is sticky, as a deterrent to pests.

• Plant type: Tender perennial, mainly grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring to early fall
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

Purchase live Calibrachoa plants here.

Summer snapdragon (Angelonia)

This self-cleaning plant has a sweet scent that is more prominent in the evenings. You won’t have to deadhead this tender perennial.

• Plant type: Tender perennial, mainly grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring through summer
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

You can get a live Angelonia plant for your garden here.

Amethyst flower (Browallia)

Browallia is a part of the nightshade family and is known for its long-lasting blooms that don’t need to be deadheaded.

• Plant type: Tender perennial, commonly grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Partial to full shade
• Bloom time: Early summer through the first frost in fall
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

Purchase seeds to grow Browallia plants here.

Rock trumpet (Mandevilla)

Mandevilla is a vining plant that can grow up to 20 feet long! This makes it a good choice for hanging baskets. The self-cleaning flowers fall off on their own, making deadheading unnecessary.

• Plant type: Tender perennial, normally grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Late spring to fall
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

Buy a live Mandevilla vine here.

Beggarticks (Bidens ssp.)

Bidens are known for their prolific blooms, which can be yellow, orange, white, pink or red. They don’t need deadheading as they are self-cleaning plants.

• Plant type: Tender perennial, often grown as an annual
• Sunlight needs: Full sun
• Bloom time: Spring to fall
• Hardiness zones: 9-11

Get seeds to grow beggarticks plants here.

Self-cleaning plants identification chart

If you want to remember which low-maintenance flowers don’t need deadheading, when you go plant shopping, you can download the chart below in a high-resolution format.

Alternatively, you can print it out from the project card at the bottom of this post in a slightly smaller size.

In addition to the flowers listed in this printable, there are also words on plant labels that indicate the plants don’t need deadheading to stay pretty all summer long. Some words to look for are:

• Low maintenance
• Self cleaning
• No deadheading required
• Undemanding
• Little care needed

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Save time on garden maintenance with this list of 20+ flowers that don't need to be deadheaded. 🌼✂️ Head to The Gardening Cook for the printable! #SelfCleaningFlowers #LowMaintenanceFlowers #FreePrintable #EasyGardening Share on X

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Admin note: This post featuring annuals and perennials that don’t need deadheading first appeared on the blog in July of 2017. I have updated it to include new plants, a free printable, and a video to enjoy.