Hi, I have been looking for info on when to prune a butterfly bush and gave up! I am in zone 5-6. I have no idea what culitvar I have. I had a neighbor who SEVERELY pruned her bush usually (but she is no longer there) and I have 3 other "bushes". A volunteer my SIL gave me that is now almost 3 feet tall, an 18 inch one & a 3 inch that all started this year. The 18 inch I cut back to about 4 inch earlier to encourage branching.
What can you tell me? Thanks for your help,
Pat
When do I prune a butterfly bush?
Hi Pat,
It's safe to prune yours now in your climate. As so long it appears dormant? Temp. must has drop considerably. I met someone at the Races yesterday, he was from Maine and ...ooooh yah brrrr, it's well into Autumn there, so yours isn't too far behind?
The timing is dependent on our temp./climate. If you prune it during the growing season; you stimulate the bush to grow more bushy. But if you prune it during the Fall, Winter, while the plant is 'asleep' so there isn't a danger of waking it back up and grow. So to make it looks tidy, this is a good time to do it.
Happy gardening.
Hummmm well it does still have a few blooms so maybe I'd be safer to wait a little bit. I am pleased with the 18 inch one I cut back to stimulate some branching, that was about a month ago and that did it's trick.
Temps have been 40s (even into 30's a time or two) at night but SOMETIMES it gets as high as high 60's still during the days. The leaves are starting to turn, but we have not had our first frost yet.
To prolong your enjoyment, I'd wait a tad longer if I were you. :-)