How to Prune Back a Butterfly Bush in Zone 8
Not only alluring to butterflies, the butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is a versatile shrub with fragrant white, pink, purple or lavender blossoms in summertime. It produces its nectar-rich flowers on the new growth of the spring and summer, so a severe pruning each late winter promotes a well-shaped bush. Cutting off all stems back to the main trunk and then reducing the height of the plant to 6 to 12 inches removes debris and prepares the plant for lush new growth. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Wait until the latter half of February or earliest March to prune back the branches of the butterfly bush. Winters in Zone 8 are mild and regrowth in spring after the pruning should begin by March's end.
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Chop off upper branches of the shrub with the loppers to thin the twiggy canopy, allowing you better access to the main lower stems and trunk at the base of the shrub. Hand pruners may be used to remove stems that are less than 1/2-inch in diameter.
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Remove all stems back to the trunk of the shrub, making a final loppers cut 6 to 12 inches above the ground on the main trunk or multiple trunks.
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Dispose of pruning debris in compost pile. Consider further cutting up stems into smaller pieces to hasten their decomposition.
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Apply 2 to 3 inches of fresh compost or cured manure around the base of the butterfly bush, keeping it away from resting against the plant stem bases. Alternatively, scatter slow release, granular fertilizer according to product label recommendations and dosages so the plant will have adequate soil nutrition as the new growth emerges in spring.
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Tips & Warnings
Butterfly bushes always respond well to a severe late winter pruning, and sometimes the cold winter facilitates the die-back for you.
Tip prune the old, faded flower clusters away in summer to encourage new growth and continual flowering. This process is usually referred to as deadheading.
