Cutting Back Butterfly Bush

Just make sure you wait until the threat of frost has passed.

Cutting back butterfly bush. The butterfly bush will grow back. However the butterfly bush can also be pruned in the spring with no ill effects. Just make sure you wait until the threat of frost has passed.

When spring comes they begin to grow back and bloom on new wood. This seems drastic but Buddleia are tough plants that respond well to hard pruning. However the butterfly bush can also be pruned in the spring with no ill effects.

How far back do you cut a butterfly bush. Even if there is no sign of rot or damage to existing branches cut all of the branches back to the ground in early spring. Avoid plants that appear to have diseases pests and pathogens.

Remove any dead or crossing branches. When to Prune a Butterfly Bush. Typically cutting back the entire plant is the most popular method for those seeking to learn how to prune a butterfly bush.

However the butterfly bush can also be pruned in the spring with no ill effects. Leave about the last 20 to 30 centimeters of the plant and always cut just above a bud or leaf axils. When trimming a butterfly bush try cutting back the lateral branches to help train the shrub to grow into a desired shape or keep it within a specific area.

Ideally you want to cut it back to around 12 inches annually. Butterfly bush pruning can take place about any time of the year. Without pruning the butterfly bush can go a bit unruly.