How to Winterize a Butterfly Bush

With winter around the corner, preparing your perennials for cold weather is a must to ensure a vibrant showing the following spring. Winterizing butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) will help ensure the plant's safety and well being during its dormant phase. Winterizing is simple and requires a small amount of time but the effort will pay off when the plants return in spring to provide beautiful, fragrant blooms.

Things You'll Need

• Garden gloves
• Pruning shears
• Mulch
• Stake or marker

Instructions

1. A butterfly bush, which is a hardy perennial, may be pruned in preparation for winter when the bush will enter a dormant phase in most planting zones. The best time for a final pruning is in November. Cut the bush back to a height of about four feet or all the way back to the ground.

2. Remove the weeds growing around the base of the butterfly bush. Hand pull any weeds that have sprung up and generally clear the area around the plant.

3. Mulch the area to keep the roots from drying out over the winter. Because a butterfly bush is a sun-loving perennial you should use a thin layer of mulch. The roots of sun-loving plants are more prone to rot so too much mulch on the root system can be a bad thing. Mulch may be sawdust, wood chips, leaves or grass clippings. Mulch can be placed to within 1 to 2 inches of the base of the plant.

4. If you trim the bush back to ground level, place a stake or some type of marker at the site to remind you of its location when spring comes.

5. Gather the branches you have pruned and the weeds you have pulled and shred them for mulch or throw them on a compost pile.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a calm day with little wind for pruning bushes in preparation for winter.

• Do not worry if you cut your butterfly bush back farther than you intend. It is hard to make any real mistakes with a butterfly bush.

References

• BackyardGardener.com
• Thrifty Fun
• Hume Seeds