How to Trim Butterfly Bushes

Trimming butterfly bushes keeps them healthy and promotes vigorous flowering. Butterfly bushes (Buddleja davidii) produce flowers on their current season's growth. Trimming too soon or too late can result in fewer flowers and damage the bushes' branches. The bushes bloom with more and larger blossoms when trimmed properly. Removing spent flowers prolongs flowering.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Trim dead, broken and diseased stems from butterfly bushes in November and December. The plants are dormant during those months.

2. Cut back all stems 6 to 12 inches above the ground between the beginning of January and the end of March.

3. Shape butterfly bushes as needed between the beginning of April and the end of October.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean pruning shears with alcohol immediately after pruning diseased stems.

• Do not prune butterfly bushes in late summer and autumn during flowering.

References

• Virginia Cooperative Extension: A Guide to Successful Pruning, Shrub Pruning Calendar
• Clemson University Cooperative Extension: Pruning Shrubs
• eXtension: When Should I Trim Back My Butterfly Bush and How Far Should I Prune it?
• FloriData: Buddleja Davidii

Resources

• Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture: Follow Proper Pruning Techniques