Cutting off Dead Flower Stalks

by Margaret
(San Angelo, TX)

Should I cut the dead blooms off my succulents?


Drought Smart Plants reply:

There is no reason not to remove the dead bloom stalks once the plant has finished flowering, but it's not essential for the health of the plant.

If you are going to try and grow the seed, then once it has ripened a bit, cut off the seed heads and put them into a brown paper bag to finish drying.

Pruning off the flower stalks may help in a couple of ways: it will eliminate the problem of reseeding in the garden, such as what can happen in some kinds of Sedum especially, and also will prevent any rot from setting in if you are in a very humid or damp area.

In some cases, such as with some hardy succulents such as Sempervivum and Jovibarba, the bloom cycle signals the end of the rosettes life, so removing the whole stem and dead rosette will leave more room for the chicks that she left behind to take her place.

Other than our natural urge to tidy up, there is no real benefit or downfall to taking off the dead stems.
Jacki