Hello Everyone! I am looking for advise on proper care of a butterfly bush. We just purchased two with purple blossoms, and we are wondering if we need to remove the dried blossoms, or just leave them be to drop on their own? Also, any other particulars about this bush will be appreciated.
Butterfly Bush
I believe buddleia (sp?), aka butterfly bush, blooms on only new wood. Which means you should prune it to get the maximum flowering. That's about all I know about it.
They bloom much better if you keep cutting the spent flowers off. I water my established ones at least once a week, more is better if it's not raining. They also get some Miracle grow about once a month during the growing season.
Hi Poly: This is my first time at this so here goes. I have a couple of butterfly bushes, three planted two years ago and two new ones this year. The trick is to prune them down to a foot or so in spring and they grow new stalks each season. Water well and fertilize (I use liquid) every two weeks for about six weeks and they should grow right up and produce lovely flowers. I'm in New England but everyone I know grows them and prunes hard in spring. As the stems get woody as they mature, you'll feel like you are killing the bush but you're not so go for it!
I know that most everybody cuts Buddleia back hard. Here in zone 8 though,they actually don't die back. When the first freeze hits they will lose most of the leafs, but they grow new ones that are much hardier. My Butterfly bushes are pretty much evergreen. I just cut out any bad parts and every year the bush gets bigger and bigger. The trunks can get pretty substantial.
Azalea in zone 7 has the biggest Honeycomb I have ever seen. I bet that thing is 12' high.
Some folks cut buddleia back in late summer, especially when they are established plants. They regrow bushier and bloom on to frost. Some can be pruned up, like crepe myrtles, at least in warmer climates, and may droop over gracefully from overhead. Eventually one 'bush' can take over the world. I have one at my office, about 8 years old, with some trunks I have been unable to cut back yet, about 6 inches across at the base. It spread about 15'H x 18'W and threatened to eat our clients. I chopped it way back this spring, so now it is only 12' x 12'!. At home, I have a half a dozen new ones, and to fit my planting scheme, I removed a number of side branches in late spring, giving them a more manageable, upright form. In short, budddleia are prolific, beautiful weeds,and butterflies really do love them! Play with them as you wish!
Peter
Polly, I am zealous about cutting off the dead blooms back to just above a joint showing new growth. I am rewarded with blooms until Fall.