November is a useful pruning month for plants that have gone dormant or need diseased growth removed before winter. Cut back hellebore leaves, delphinium and bee balm after frost, tidy spent raspberry canes, and trim tender angel’s trumpet before bringing it inside.

The best November pruning is selective, removing what could spread disease, snap in winter weather, or obstruct next season. Leave healthy seed heads and sturdy stems where they feed birds, shelter insects, or protect crowns.

Leave spring-flowering shrubs and most hydrangeas alone; in colder USDA zones, early freezes can make spring pruning safer. Sharp bypass pruners and clean blades make these jobs easier and these Okatsune bypass pruners from Amazon are always my go to pair. There is still so much to plant while the soil remains workable, from bulbs to dormant shrubs, and our guide to what to plant in November is great for helping you decide what to get in the ground now.

1. Hellebores (Helleborus)

Hellebores are at their most intriguing when the rest of the garden is thinking about bed. In November, remove the old, damaged leaves from established plants, cutting each stalk near the base.

This clears space for fresh flower stems and reduces the chance that leaf spot on last year’s foliage will linger into the new season. The emerging flowers will look far more glamorous without a tatty green curtain around them.

In mild regions, new growth can appear early, so work carefully and avoid cutting the flower buds. In colder areas, wait until the plant is dormant and the old leaves are easy to distinguish from new growth.

I use small bypass pruners for the job and wipe the blades between plants if I see spotting. Hellebore sap can irritate skin, so a pair of gloves from Amazon are sensible even when the day feels too pleasant for them. See our guide to growing hellebores for more on choosing a spot and keeping these winter flowers happy.

2. Delphiniums

Once frost has blackened the foliage and flower stalks, delphiniums can be cut down to a few inches above the crown. In my experience, waiting for that first proper frost makes the decision obvious as the stalks collapse into untidy brown punctuation marks, and the plant has clearly finished for the year.

Removing the spent material helps keep a border orderly and takes away decaying foliage that may harbor disease.

Don’t cut healthy plants while they are still green and working. A mild November in Zones 8–10 may mean the foliage has not yet died back, so be patient. In colder Zones 3–5, mulch lightly around the base after the ground cools, but don’t smother the crown.

Delphiniums are not keen on winter wet, so drainage matters as much as the haircut. I like to use shredded bark mulch from Lowes as it allows good airflow to the crown but protects the plant from worst of the frost.

3. Bee Balm (Monarda)

Bee balm is a pollinator favorite, and its stems can also host beneficial insects through winter. If the foliage stayed healthy, I often leave it standing until spring. But where powdery mildew has turned leaves into a ghostly, dusty mess, November is a good moment to cut the plant back after it dies down and remove the infected debris. Don’t compost visibly diseased stems; bag up and dispose of them instead.

This is very much a targeted cleanup, not a reason to scalp every clump. Leaf mulch can protect crowns in colder Zones 3–6, whereas in milder zones, simply mark the plant and leave the base undisturbed.

Speaking from experience, puncture-resistant gardening gloves from Walmart help with any unwanted encounters with prickly neighbors. See H&G’s advice on when to cut back bee balm to brush up on your pruning knowledge.

4. Raspberries (Rubus)

November is a good inspection month for raspberry rows, but the right cut depends on the variety. Summer-bearing raspberries produce on second-year canes, which die after fruiting; remove those spent brown canes at ground level if you did not do it after harvest. Keep the strong new canes that will bear next summer.

Fall-bearing raspberries can be cut to the ground during dormancy if you want one large fall crop next year, but leave selected canes if you want a smaller summer crop as well.

In very cold regions, such as Zones 3–4, wait until spring to thin live canes if winter injury is common, because you can see what survived. In milder zones, dormant pruning is more straightforward.

I find a sharp pair of loppers from Amazon useful for old, woody stems, while bypass pruners are better for smaller cuts. Remove diseased or borer-damaged canes and clear them away from the patch.

5. Asparagus

Asparagus foliage turns gold, then brown, after frost. In areas where asparagus beetles or disease have been a problem, cut the dead ferny tops down to a few inches and remove them from the bed.

This is a useful November job because the old growth can shelter beetle eggs and disease organisms. If the foliage is healthy, leaving it a little longer lets the plant move energy back into its crown, just make sure to wait until it has fully yellowed before cutting.

In colder zones, clean up once fronds are dead and the ground is workable; in warmer areas, foliage may last later into fall.

Avoid cutting into the crown near the soil surface. I mark the row before stems disappear, sparing myself the spring game of “asparagus or optimistic weed?” It might not be needed now, but a daisy grubber from Amazon makes a great asparagus harvester and a handy tool for clearing those pesky weeds.

6. Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia)

This is a pruning job for gardeners who grow angel’s trumpet in containers and must move it indoors for winter. In frost-free Zones 9–11, the plant can stay outside, and only light shaping or removal of damaged growth is needed.

Elsewhere, prune lightly in November as you prepare to overwinter it in a protected space. Do not cut below the point where the trunk first forks, or you may remove the growth that carries next season’s flowers.

I treat the sap with respect by wearing gloves and avoiding touching my face, as all parts of this plant are toxic. A clean pruning saw from Amazon may be needed for thicker stems, but most seasonal trimming is manageable with bypass loppers. Keep the plant somewhere cool and bright, and water sparingly while it rests.

7. Blackberry Lily (Iris domestica)

Despite its name, blackberry lily is an iris, and fall cleanup can help keep both disease and unwanted seedlings in check. After frost, cut the dead foliage down and remove the distinctive seed pods before they split if you do not want the plant to scatter itself around the bed. I rather like the black seeds, which look like a handful of tiny berries, but they are enthusiastic self-sowers and can become a surprise groundcover.

In regions where the plant is invasive or not recommended, don't collect or redistribute its seed and make sure to check local extension guidance before growing it.

In colder zones, wait until the foliage is fully dead and mulch lightly around newly planted rhizomes. Use clean pruners, then brush away soil and sap before putting tools away.

A quick clean with garden tool disinfectant from Amazon is useful between diseased plants. For a longer-term pruning calendar, H&G’s complete guide to pruning is worth bookmarking.

Before cutting, check what kind of wood carries next year’s flowers. Many spring-flowering shrubs set buds on old wood, so a November trim can erase the show. Hydrangeas vary, too: leave most bigleaf and oakleaf types alone now, but panicle and smooth types are usually pruned later in winter or early spring. When in doubt, prune only dead, diseased, or damaged growth.

Make clean cuts with sharp blades and disinfect them after diseased plants. Use loppers for thick branches and a pruning saw for larger wood. In colder Zones 3–5, freeze-thaw cycles can make a spring assessment wiser; in warmer Zones 8–10, let plants finish naturally before cutting. Restraint now can mean less repair work come spring.

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