How to Divide Perennials: When, Why, and the Easy Step-by-Step Method (With Real Examples)

Divide perennials the right way. Learn when to split plants, how to handle root balls, and simple tips for bigger, healthier blooms.

Are your perennials starting to look tired, crowded, or less productive than they used to? Do some of your favorite plants bloom less each year? If so, it may be time to divide them.

Dividing perennials is one of the easiest ways to rejuvenate established plants, encourage stronger blooms, prevent overcrowding, and create more plants for free. And the best part? Most perennials want to be divided, so regular division keeps them healthier and more vigorous for years to come.

Hi! I’m Stacy Ling—a trained Master Gardener gardening in Zone 6B for over 30 years. I’ve divided hundreds of perennials in my own cottage-style gardens and have learned which plants divide easily, which ones are trickier, and the best techniques for long-term success.

Learn more about my gardening background →

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly when to divide perennials, how to split different types of root systems, and real examples from my own garden so you can divide your plants with confidence.

If you’re still learning the difference between perennials and annuals or want help choosing what to grow, make sure to check out my guide:

Perennials vs. Annuals: What Should You Plant?

(Posts on stacyling.com may contain affiliate links. Click HERE for full disclosure.)

About Dividing Perennials

Dividing perennials is one of the easiest, most budget-friendly ways to grow a healthier, fuller garden. It’s simply the process of lifting and separating a mature perennial into smaller sections, and each one becomes a brand-new plant.

It’s truly garden magic. And for many perennials, it’s also essential for their long-term health and blooming power.

Over the years, I’ve learned (the fun way!) that not all perennials behave the same when you divide them. Some practically fall apart in your hands and happily multiply overnight. Others…well, let’s just say they make you work for it.

Let me walk you through everything you need to know – based on decades of dividing plants in both my former garden and the big, beautiful gardens I care for today.

Understanding Different Types of Perennials

Perennials are plants that return year after year — unlike annuals, which complete their whole life cycle in one season. Perennials grow, bloom, die back, and come back again, often bigger and better.

They fall into a few categories:

Herbaceous perennials

These die back to the ground every fall and reemerge in spring (think coneflowers, nepeta, sedum, rudbeckia, phlox).

Woody perennials

These keep their stems year-round and aren’t usually divided (like shrubs or small subshrubs).

Different root types matter, too

Some have:

• Fibrous roots — super easy to divide
• Clumping crowns — very cooperative
• Taproots — stubborn and best left alone
• Rhizomes — easy, but need strategic splitting

A few popular perennials you’ll see in gardens include coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, peonies, daylilies, and hostas…and every one behaves a little differently when it’s time to divide.

If you’re not sure whether a plant is a perennial or annual (or how each grows), this post breaks it down simply:

Perennials vs. Annuals: A Gardener’s Guide to Continuous Blooms

Can You Split All Perennials?

Short answer? No.

But many of them divide beautifully.

Perennials that don’t like being divided:

• Bleeding hearts (dicentra)
• Globe thistle (echinops)
• Peonies (paeonia) — you can divide them, but they sulk for years

These are happier when left alone or propagated another way.

Perennials that divide easily (and I’ve divided all of these many times):

From my former garden (23 years):

• hostas
• rudbeckia
• salvia
• coreopsis
• sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
• nepeta
• purple coneflower
• daylilies
• tall garden phlox

In my current expansive gardens (since 2021):

• nepeta
• coreopsis
• coneflower
• rudbeckia
• sedums (multiple types)
• geranium
• brunnera
• astilbe
• hakonechloa
• phlox
• hostas (always!)

These plants are the garden workhorses that let you fill beds affordably — especially when you’re starting large spaces like I did here.

The key is knowing which plants split easily… and which ones will fight back.

In the photo below, each of these nepeta plants were divisions that I split off from another spot in my gardens. I love how they look with those peonies, don’t you?

Why Dividing Perennials is Important

Dividing perennials is a great way to keep the garden looking good and share the bounty with others. There are several reasons why we need to divide perennials every few years.

Keeps Plants Healthy and Blooming Strong

As perennials mature, they grow into large clumps. Eventually:

• the center can die out
• blooms decline
• stems flop
• the plant loses vigor

Division resets the plant and encourages fresh, healthy growth.

Prevents Overcrowding

Fast growers like rudbeckia, nepeta, coreopsis, and many sedums can take over if not divided. Splitting them keeps the balance in your beds.

Saves BIG Money

This is my favorite perk.

I built almost all of my former gardens from divisions. One tiny hosta became a border. One sedum clump multiplied into a whole bed. My gardens grew because my plants grew — and dividing them made it affordable.

Now in my large gardens, divisions are how I fill empty spaces without spending a fortune.

Lets you share the joy

I’ve always loved sharing divisions with friends, neighbors, and family. And I love seeing “my” plants thriving in their gardens, too.

Case Studies: What Dividing Looks Like in Real Gardens (Like Mine!)

These are real examples from plants I’ve divided countless times across two properties.

Case Study: Nepeta (Catmint): The Easiest Plant You’ll Ever Divide

Nepeta practically divides itself. It forms natural clumps with shallow roots that separate with just a little pressure.

In my gardens (old and new), I’ve divided nepeta dozens of times. It’s the perfect plant for filling long borders, softening edges, or creating rhythm through a big space.

✔ Minimal roots
✔ Easy to lift
✔ Bounces back quickly

→ Watch me divide nepeta in my garden here.

Case Study: Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’: The Fall Workhorse

Sedum is a dream to divide. In my old garden, I started with ONE plant and turned it into well over two dozen.

When sedum needs dividing, it tells you:

• it forms multiple crowns
• the center starts to hollow
• stems flop or split

You can divide it by hand or with a shovel — it’s very forgiving. See the pic below where my sedum autumn joy is essentially splitting itself off into several plants!

Case Study: Rudbeckia & Coreopsis: Vigorous Spreaders That LOVE Division

These plants grow fast and bloom like crazy, which means they need splitting every few years.

In both my gardens, they’ve been my “free plants” that I use to fill new beds quickly.

They divide easily but can get root-bound if you wait too long. And if you are anything like me where you like to leave the seed heads out in fall and winter for the birds, these plants can sort of take over an area. So dividing them helps keep them in check!

Case Study: Hostas: Garden Staples for Division

Hostas are one of the most reliable, rewarding plants to divide.

I’ve divided hostas to create:

• pathways
• borders
• shady garden expansions
• “repeat plantings” for unity

You can split them into halves, thirds, or even small wedges — they always bounce back. The photo below shows a row of hostas that I divided the first year we moved in so they’d line a path in my pool garden.

Case Study: Plants I Don’t Divide

(And yes, this comes from experience!)

• Peonies — they survive it, but they pout.
• Brunnera — slow to recover.
• Hellebores — technically divisible, but not worth the stress.

These are best left untouched unless absolutely necessary.

When to Divide Perennials

The best time to divide perennials depends on your climate, growing zone, and the type of plant you’re working with. But the good news? The general guidelines are really simple once you know what to look for.

The Universal Rule

Divide perennials when the weather is cool and the plant is not putting energy into blooming.

That usually means early spring or fall in most climates. Let’s chat about why this is so, so it makes sense no matter where you garden.

Early Spring (Most Reliable Time in All Zones)

This is the ideal time for many gardeners because:

• Plants are small and easy to lift
• Temperatures are cool
• Roots reestablish quickly
• There’s minimal transplant stress

If you live in a colder climate (Zones 3–6), early spring is often the easiest, most forgiving window.

Fall (Excellent for Root Growth)

Fall is another wonderful time to divide perennials because plants naturally focus on root development, not foliage or blooms.

Fall works especially well in:

• Zones 5–9
• Regions with mild autumns and consistent moisture
• Areas where ground freezes late

If your fall stays above freezing for 6–8 weeks, you can safely divide. My rule of thumb is, as long as the ground isn’t frozen, it’s okay to divide and transplant.

Summer (Possible, But Not Ideal)

You can divide perennials in summer. I’ve done it many times when the gardening urge strikes, but it is definitely A LOT more work.

Summer divisions require:

• Shade cloth or temporary protection
• Frequent watering
• Daily monitoring
• Avoiding dividing while the plant is blooming

If you garden in a hot, humid area (like much of New Jersey), it’s usually better to wait.

Winter (Hard No)

The ground is frozen, plants are dormant, and division should wait until spring.

What I Do in My Zone 6B Garden

I garden in New Jersey, Zone 6B, where spring and fall are the sweet spots. Over the years, I’ve divided perennials in just about every season, but these are the windows that consistently give me the best results:

Early Spring

My favorite because plants are small, and divisions bounce back beautifully with minimal fuss.

Mid–Late Fall

A close second — especially when I want plants to focus on root growth all winter and wake up happy in spring.

Summer Only When Necessary

It definitely works but requires more coddling, so I only do it when I’m filling a space and can’t wait. But this is super rare and something I have not done in several years.

Quick Tips by Plant Type

Some perennials prefer one season over the other:

• Spring divisions: hostas, daylilies, nepeta, sedum
• Fall divisions: coneflowers, rudbeckia, coreopsis, phlox
• Avoid division: peonies, bleeding hearts, hellebores (unless absolutely necessary)

While I take this into account, I also go by appearance and how I want the garden to look in the season. So for example, I prefer to divide hostas early in spring when they are just breaking ground or late in fall as they go dormant so the foliage looks intact. Sedums, I generally divide in the spring because I like to leave the seed heads undamaged in the fall so they remain upright and strong throughout the winter.

How to Divide Perennials (Simple Step-by-Step)

Supplies:

• Shovel, spade, hori hori knife, or hand trowel
• Garden fork
• Gloves
• Garden soil, potting soil, and/or compost
• Pots (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Water the plant well before dividing.
2. Identify where the plant naturally separates.
3. Start digging at the outer edge of the clump.
4. Lift and gently tease apart the roots (some fall apart easily!).
5. Replant divisions right away.
6. Water deeply and mulch if needed.

Don’t worry about damaging roots — perennials are tougher than you think. They WANT rejuvenation.

How Dividing Perennials Has Grown My Garden

Dividing perennials is truly how my gardens came to life.

At my former home, I started with just a handful of plants. Over 23 years, I divided and transplanted so many perennials that one small bed grew into more than ten.

And now, on this much larger property, divisions are how I fill all the new beds — affordably, quickly, and with plants I already know thrive here.

Divisions are how you turn:

• one plant into many
• a small bed into a full garden
• bare soil into a beautiful, thriving space

And honestly? It’s the most satisfying gardening task there is.

Quick Tips & Things to Remember

• In hot weather? Just wait until fall. Trust me.
• Some plants (like ferns and hollyhocks) don’t love division.
• Mulch after dividing to retain moisture.
• Avoid dividing when plants are actively blooming.
• Keep divisions well-watered for the first week or two.

Want help choosing which perennials to grow or divide?

• Perennials for Shade
• Perennial vs Annuals: What’s the Difference
• How to Renew an Aging Perennial Border
• Why Perennials Fail to Bloom (and How to Fix It Fast)
• Top Perennials for a Cut Flower Garden
• Best Full Sun Perennials
• Cottage Garden Perennials
• Midsummer Perennials
• Perennial Garden Design

Final Thoughts About Dividing Perennials

Dividing perennials is one of my all-time favorite gardening activities, not just because it keeps my plants healthy and blooming, but because it lets me grow new gardens without spending a fortune. I’ve been dividing perennials for decades (both in my former 23-year garden and now in these expansive gardens) and I still get excited every time I lift a clump and see how many new plants I can make. It’s incredibly satisfying, it’s budget-friendly, and honestly…it’s a pretty great workout too!

Whether you’re filling new beds, refreshing tired plants, or sharing divisions with friends, splitting perennials is one of the simplest ways to expand the beauty of your garden. The more you do it, the easier it becomes—and before long, you’ll be amazed at how much your garden can grow from just a few healthy clumps.

If you’ve divided perennials in your own garden, I’d love to hear how it went! Drop a comment below and tell me what you’re splitting this season or feel free to ask a question if you’re not sure where to start. And if you want more perennial gardening tips, seasonal ideas, and behind-the-scenes updates from my Zone 6B gardens, make sure to join my newsletter here so you never miss a post.

For more information about dividing perennials please read this article from Penn State Cooperative Extension.

To drill down on more beginner gardening techniques and tips, please read these posts:

• Flower Gardening for Beginners
• Growing a Cut Flower Garden for Beginners
• Container Garden Ideas for Beginners
• How to Start a Vegetable Garden
• Herb Gardening for Beginners

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

Enjoy your day! xoxo

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