Learning how and when to prune a butterfly bush can help you keep all that vigorous growth in check.
These butterfly bush pruning tips will help guide your cuts.
Because it reseeds prolifically, butterfly bush is considered an invasive plant in many areas of the U.S.
Credit:Carson Downing
Check with your local extension office before planting it.
Otherwise, be prepared to stay on top of removing faded flowers before they set seeds.
These cultivars have sterile seeds so won’t spread aggressively.
Be Patient
Butterfly bush is one of the last plants to leaf out in spring.
Give your plant time.
As temperatures moderate and heat sets in, it will grow quickly.
Begin pruning by removing about one-third of the shrubs branches to ground level.
When selecting branches to cut back, choose the oldest stems.
Next, cut back all remaining branches to 3 feet tall or less.
Remove Spent Flowers
Curb rampant reseeding by regularly pruning spent blooms.
Thispractice is called deadheading.
Cut the fading flower stalk back to the first set of leaves.
New flower shoots will form below the cut.
Deadheading also can encourage your butterfly bush to continue blooming into fall.
Dont Hesitate to Prune Significantly
Butterfly bush tolerates extreme pruning with ease.
Expect the shrub to regrow quickly once the weather warms up.
Remove wayward stems and reduce the size as needed so the plant will complement the available growing space.
It takes less than 20 minutes to prune a single large butterfly bush.
The relatively soft wood and easy-to-access branch structure make for quick work.
