A friend gave me two butterfly bushes last year which I planted at the end of my driveway. They have the most beautiful purple blooms on them during the summer. They have also not lost their leaves over the winter. Although they are still small (2 ft. high) should I prune them back before spring realy sets in? If so, when should I do this?
I have not heard of butterfly bushes, but they sound absolutely beautiful. I will have to look them up on the internet to see some pictures. I can't answer your question except with the generic rule that pruning in winter is usually better than at other times of the year.
I do not believe I have ever seen a butterfly bush, either. I think my mom has some kind of flower that vines, that she calls a butterfly plant. I second pruning during winter, but I am not an expert.
I have 2 butterfly bushes and you are right, they are gorgeous. This is only the 2nd year that I have had them. My friend is an expert with flowers/bushes. She said to prune them at the end of the season (so end of Fall).
I have a number of butterfly bushes in my yard. Mine end up being enormous every season, even though I prune them back almost to the ground each fall. I have purple ones and yellow ones. Keep in mind, too, that they are also bumblebee bushes, as my former neighbor used to remind me.
I'm not sure, but I think you are suppose to prune them in the fall after bloooming. I have one that I bought on clearance several years ago. It was about three feet tall and quite sad looking. Today, it is probably 14 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Butterflies swarm around it in the summer and flutter around you if you stand near it. My husband hates it and wants to prune it because it is so big, but everyone else that sees it would like to have one just like it.
This fast-growing, deciduous shrub with long, arching shoots will reach heights of 6 to 8 feet. Although the green leaves add a welcome bit of color to any landscape, it is the masses of blossoms—long, seductively spiked trusses—that are special. From summer to autumn, the butterfly bush bears dense panicles, 12 inches or more long, that fill the air with a fruity scent. At its northern limits, the shrubs can die back, sometimes all the way to the ground. No matter. Butterfly bush is vigorous and undemanding and will send up new shoots, given a sunny location and average garden soil. 1-Water freely when in growth and sparingly otherwise. In the summer, water if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. 2-Avoid fertilizing butterfly bush; too much fertility supports leaf growth over flower production. 3-Remove spent flower spikes to encourage new shoots and flower buds. 4-Each spring, apply a thin layer of compost and mulch to retain moisture and control weeds. 5-In cold Northern climates, spread mulch up to 6 inches deep around the trunk to nurture it through the winter. 6-Buddleias are very late to break dormancy, so don't be in a hurry to assess winter damage. 7-The bush should bloom abundantly even in its first year. In warmer climates, the bushes will grow into trees and develop rugged trunks that peel; peeling is normal. 8-In the northern limit of their range, they behave as herbaceous perennials, dying back to the root in cold winters. 9-Since they bloom on new wood, even if there is no die-back, cut them back to the ground every spring. Even where winters are mild enough for the stems to survive, prune severely to stimulate abundant growth on which flowers are borne.
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