It forms new stalks each year as the old ones die when there's a hard freeze. I leave mine up after freeze until it looks ratty and then cut it down to near ground level, but you could cut it back as soon as the foliage dies. In a year with little early snow, that might be in December, but in years with a lot of snow, it gets buried and I cut it back in spring before it starts sprouting. Mine had an unusual amount of red in it this year. Most years it is a lovely clear gold. From October, 2013 This post was edited by nhbabs on Fri, Dec 13, 13 at 6:38

Sometimes we all get tired of certain plants and if it doesn't work for you, by all means rip it out. I've done that with plants that I'm tired of fussing over. For me, it's the drought-tolerance, deer and rabbit resistance and the fact that it is the greenest foliage in my perennial garden this time of year (as we hit 104 degrees today). When cutting back amsonia, wear gloves as the sap can be irritating to the skin. I just slope the sides and mound the shape to keep it upright. The main one that I trim is also supported by ground cover of eupatorium 'Wayside' that is lush and blooming those cute misty blue flowers right now. That amsonia is also hiding the knees of monarda 'Raspberry Wine' on the slope above it and is flanked on one side by persicaria 'fire tail' in front of eupatorium 'chocolate'. The other side are native Joe Pye and solidago. Just pack those plants in there around it. Since amsonia blooms so early, i shape it before the companions get up around it. Cameron

I don't cut back the stems. I wait until spring, and do my clean-up then. Bonnie, are you a registered member here? I'm trying to figure out why some people don't have a 'My Page'? Your name is black and your email is showing, instead of your name in blue and a 'My Page' in parentheses. I suppose, if you want your email to show, it could still show, but I don't understand why your name is black and not blue? You have no profile page that someone can click on. I believe it's called hotlinked when your name and your email or your 'My Page' are linked together.

In addition to the four that Wantonamara noted... I have two other types seeded right now. I took half of each type, planted them into a seed tray and left them outside for two or so months through winter and then moved them under lights inside. The second half were cold damp stratified for the same period in the fridge before going into a seed tray under the same lights. In the end I got half to germinate from each tray….. The rest were rotten. So I ended up consolidating them into a single tray. Not that will try again … but if I did… I would cut the stratification period down to just for weeks or so. Maybe this would help on the rotting issue. Right now the seedlings are a few inches tall. The media is half seed mix and half vermiculite. Some seem to be struggle a bit. Even though I just started barely giving the weakest of fertilizer in the watering.. I am getting some yellowing of the leaves. Don’t know what’s going on. I have no idea what I will be doing with them all… I don’t have room for a fraction of them. I have issues.