If you prune azaleas and rhododendrons in the fall, you will cut off their flower buds, which will stop the plants from growing the next spring because they flower on old wood.
If you have lilac shrubs (Syringa spp.) in your yard, you need to prune them often because they can get out of hand and grow over 30 feet tall if they are not.
Like lilacs, forsythia shrubs are fast-growing plants and they can quickly overcrowd garden beds if they aren’t pruned every year or two.
Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) don't need to be pruned, but if you want your yard to look better, you should wait until spring to do it.
Goldfinches and other birds eat these seeds in the winter, when other food sources are scarce. They help species stay alive.
The leaves of the Russian sage plant (Perovskia atriplicifolia) smell great, and the flowers are purple and attract bees and other pollinators.
is another plant that birds often forage from during the winter months, so leave the dried flowerheads in place if you can.
Some types of hydrangea that can handle cold weather bloom on new wood, and these types can be pruned safely in the fall.
The flowers of mock oranges (Philadelphus spp.) are famous for having a strong smell. They are often grown in cottage gardens and look great with forsythia, viburnums, and lilacs.