Plants You Can Divide

This list is of the most common flowers, herbs, bushes and plants that are sucessfully divided.

Common Name Botanical Name When to Divide How to Divide
Asters Need botanical name Spring. Every year or two to control spread and promote vigor. Divide root ball into smaller sections.
Baby's Breath Gypsophila paniculata Not recommended to divide but Spring or late Summer or early fall. If you really want to try, make certain you do not cut the root by digging and carefully divide by hand.
Baloon Flower Platycodon Late fall when it has died back or not appeared yet in Spring. Rarely do unless unavoidable- deep root system.
Basket-of-Gold Aurinia saxatilis Divide in late summer/early fall. Divide root ball. Can also be propagated by stem cuttings in spring or late summer.
Bears's Breech Acanthus Spring Divide roots into smaller clumps
Beebalm Monarda Every 3 years to control rampant growth. Spring or fall. Spreading root division.
Bellflower Campanula Every 2 to 3 years or as the plant becomes crowded. Spring or early fall. Divide roots into smaller sections
Black Eyed Susans Rudbeckia Hirta Spring: 3-4 years Divide Clump into smaller sections
Blackberry Lily Belamcanda Every 3 to 4 years after bloom is finished. Rhizome root division. Discard woody or rotted. (See Special Treatments)
Blanket Flower Gaillardia grandiflora Every 1 or 2 years to maintain vigor. Early spring. Divide root ball into smaller sections.
Bleeding Heart Dicentra Rarely needs division. Early spring. Divide by hand because the roots break easily. Choose fleshy roots
Cannas Canna Every 3 or 4 years. Can do more often. Spring. Choose fleshy roots.
Cranesbill Geranium Every 2 to 4 years in Spring or Fall. Divide root ball into sections.
Creeping Phlox Need botanical name Spring but after bloom or Fall Divide root ball into sections.
Day Lily Hemerocallis Anytime but preferably after blooms -2-3 yrs. Move tuber segments.
False Spirea Astible Every 2 to 3 years as plants become crowded. Early Spring or fall. Divide root ball into smaller sections. Needs division for best bloom.
Ferns N/A Before or as the plant breaks dormancy. Rarely do unless unavoidable- deep root system.
Garden Peony Paeonia Rarely do they need division and doing so may prevent blooms for 3 years. September or October. Divisions should have three to five well-developed eyes (buds for next years growth). Plant peonies with the eyes no deeper than 1 inch below the surface.
Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata Every 3 to 4 years. Early spring or fall. Spreading root division. Divide roots into sections.
Geranium, Hardy Geranium Divide in Spring or late summer/early fall. Need more research
Iris, Bearded Iris Germanica Every 3 to 4 years. After flowering up to September. Rhizome root division. Discard woody or rotted. (See Special Treatments)
Iris, Siberian Iris Sibirica Divide after blooming. Early Summer Rhizome root division. Discard woody or rotted. (See Special Treatments)
Lambs-ear Stachys Byzantina Every 2 to 3 years. Spring or early fall. Divide outer area of root clump and discard weak centers.
Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis Spring or fall but no later than October. Division of roots with 3 or 4 buds each.
Lily, (Plantain) Hosta Rarely need division.They can be divided if you want more plants, however, they will reach their best performance if not divided too often. Early Spring or early fall. Pick the fleshy roots, divide into clumps with one to three eyes. A wedge can be taken from an established plant, which will soon fill back in.
Lily (True Lily) Lilium Three to four weeks after they have finished flowering every 2-3 years. Dig carefully around root system as some lilies have shoots. Select the larger bulbs to transplant. If you have a good light source (a nursery or sun porch) the smaller ones can be nurtured to grow bigger for planting.
Lily of the Nile Agapanthus Spring, summer or fall When flowering slows due to crowding. Fleshy clumping roots are large and brittle. Do not divide unless needed to improve bloom.
Lily of the Valley Convallaria majalis Spring or fall. Divide for plant increase as desired. Early spring. Can be divided as clumps or single "pips". Keep the strongest pips and discard the old. Budgeters, keep the old and plant in an out of the way place.
Lupin Lupinus Before or when the plant breaks dormancy. Rarely do unless unavoidable- they have a very deep root system.
Mints Need to research more. * *
Monkshood (aka Wolfbane) Aconitum Dephinifolium 10+ years Spring Resents disturbance. DO WEAR RUBBER GLOVES WHEN DIVIDING TUBERS. The roots are poisonous and was once used to kill wolves, hense the the aka: Wolfbane.
Ornamental Grasses N/A Spring only: 3-4 years Some grasses do not tolerate fall division. Due to the very dense fibrous roots you may require the use of an very sharp knife (be careful), saw or ax to divide.
Poppy Pavaver After the foliage dies down. After extracting the plant cut the roots into 3- to 4-inch long pieces. They will need to remain in a cold frame for a few week in sandy soil.
Peonies Paeonia Fall 10 - 12 yrs 3-5 eyes (the pink buds on top of the clump)in one divide.
Russian Sage Perovskia Before or when the plant breaks dormancy Do not do often. Very deep root system.
Baloon Flower Platycodon Late Fall when it has died back or not appeared yet in Spring. Rarely do this. Not the best plant to transplant.
Purple Cone Flower Echinacea Purpurea Every 4 years. Spring or fall. Divide roots.
Red-hot-poker Kniphofia Divide only for plant increase. Spring or fall. Choose the flesh colored roots.Divisions may take 2-3 years to bloom.
Roger's Flower or Fingerleaf Rodgersia Rodgersia aesculifolia Spring or fall: 3-4 yrs Divide root ball into smaller sections
Tall Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata Spring or fall: 3-4 yrs Divide root ball into smaller sections.
Stone Crop Sedum (Autumn Joy) For plant increase. Spring. Divide root ball. Can do softwood cuttings or root leaves in early summer.
Thyme, Garden Thymus vulgaris May to September Dividing old roots, or making cuttings, by slipping pieces off the plants with roots.
Tickseed Coreopsis Every 1 or 2 years to maintain vigor. Spring or fall. Divide roots
Wormwoods Artemisia Every year or two. Spring Divide root and discard dead center. Do not divide woody artemesias.
Mum Chrysanthemum Every year or two. Spring. Divide root ball into smaller sections.
Rose Mallow Hibiscus Before or as the plant breaks dormancy. Rarely do unless unavoidable- deep root system.
Yarrow Achillea Every 2 or 3 years or when center dies out. Spring or fall. Divide roots






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