Learn when butterfly bush blooms and how to prune and care for the flowering shrubs. Plus learn if you can grow butterfly bush in containers.
Butterfly Bush Care: Protection in Winter
Courtesy Janine Burke
“I have difficulty overwintering butterfly bush (Buddleia) and end up replanting most of them each year,” says Deanna Frautschi of Bloomington, Illinois. “Any tips for better success?”
“For butterfly bush care, patience is the key,” Melinda Myers says. “Allow your plants to stand over winter to increase their winter hardiness (you’ll enjoy the winter interest, too). If you choose to add some winter mulch, wait until the soil freezes before covering the base of the plant with evergreen boughs or straw. Consider enclosing the mulched plant with a cylinder of hardware cloth to keep the rabbits and voles out. In late winter or early spring, cut the plants back to 4 to 6 inches above the ground. Then wait.”
“How can I keep butterfly bushes alive through winter in Zone 6a? I have lost one per year for the past four years,” asks Connie Mason Etter of Martinsville, Indiana
Melinda says, “Keep trying! I am a Zone 5a gardener and have had success with butterfly bushes, both in a small city lot and now in a more brutal, open rural location. Grow these plants in a sunny, well-draining spot. Avoid late-season fertilization because it promotes growth that is likely to be winter killed. Leave the plants standing to increase hardiness and provide winter interest.
Cut them back to 4 to 6 inches above the ground in late winter or early spring, before growth begins. Then be patient. Mine have sprouted as late as mid-July after an extremely cold winter and cool spring. The bushes quickly reached full size and were covered with blooms and butterflies by early August. Well worth the wait!”
After a harsh winter or cool spring, you may not see signs of interest until June or even early July. But if the roots survived, they will quickly generate new growth and blooms for the butterflies to enjoy from August until frost.
Is Butterfly Bush Invasive?
Butterfly bush is invasive in some areas, such as the Pacific Northwest. Avoid growing it, or try planting seedless varieties like Lo and Behold Lilac Chip.
“I can’t seem to find information about growing butterfly bushes in containers. How do they fare, and is it worth trying?” asks Emily Rumpf of Cato, New York.
Melinda says, “Butterfly bushes, as well as other trees, shrubs and perennials, can be grown in containers. You’ll have the greatest chance at winter survival growing plants that are at least one zone hardier than your region. In cold climates, you will need to provide extra winter protection.
Move the plants into an unheated garage and water any time the soil is thawed and dry. Or cover the roots with wood chips and surround with bagged soil or some other type of insulation. Another option is to sink the pot in a vacant part of your garden that is sheltered.”
This Inspired Violet butterfly bush (pictured above) is a seedless noninvasive variety that attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Cut them back to 4 to 6 inches above the ground in late winter or early spring, before growth begins. Then be patient. Mine have sprouted as late as mid-July after an extremely cold winter and cool spring. The bushes quickly reached full size and were covered with blooms and butterflies by early August.
Butterfly Bush blooms from mid-summer to early fall. Flowers form drooping or upright spikes at the end of branches. The wild-origin species is white-flowered with orange or yellow centers. Varieties bred for the garden are typically purple; or they may have pink, blue, magenta, yellow or maroon blooms.
You need to deadhead it: Deadheading works very well when it comes to enticing new blooms on the butterfly bush. Once the blooms start to look dry and slightly withered, it starts to look a bit sad, and you can give the shrub a chance to push out another round of blooms with some thorough deadheading.
If your butterfly bush is not blooming and is also boasting some yellow leaves, you may be overwatering your plant! Butterfly bushes do not like to have “wet feet”, and prolonged periods in wet soils will make them stressed. A plant under stress is not likely to bloom. Too much fertilizer.
Butterfly bushes grow and spread aggressively, often out-competing native plants. This can disrupt local ecosystems and decrease food and habitat availability for beneficial insects and other wildlife.
But without regular pruning, butterfly bushes can become sparse, and flowering can diminish, leaving next to nothing for pollinators. So keep pruning to keep the butterflies coming to your garden for years to come!
They might be four or five feet tall, you might want to shorten those down to one or two and that will encourage a lot of new, young vigorous growth to come up and you'll get a lot more flowers. So, whenever a shrub blooms in the summer, you want to cut it back, generally in late winter or early spring.
The warmer your climate, the more you should cut back your butterfly bush each spring. Even dwarf varieties like our Lo & Behold® series still need pruning – you'll just be cutting back less than you would on a variety that reaches 8' tall. Be patient.
Typically, a butterfly bush will live about 10 years. You may find some plants that live longer than that, but it's a rare case. Proper care of a butterfly bush will help it live longer and thrive in your garden.
After a harsh winter or cool spring, you may not see signs of interest until June or even early July. But if the roots survived, they will quickly generate new growth and blooms for the butterflies to enjoy from August until frost.
"A note if you've never grown butterfly bushes: They look dead first thing in the spring and some branches die, but wait until May and June to see how it's done over the winter. If there are some dead branches, simply trim them off.
“Rejuvenation pruning” really means cutting the plant down to its base. It should be done in early spring but should not be done every single year. Not all plants appreciate rejuvenation pruning, but some that respond well are Butterfly Bush, Blue Mist Spirea, Dogwood, Spirea, Forsythia, and Rose of Sharon.
An established butterfly bush is fairly drought resistant, and only needs watering during long dry spells. Wilted leaves will likely indicate your plant is dry but always check the soil, as wilted leaves can also be a sign of roots staying too wet.
The colorful flowering butterfly bush is easy to care for and a favorite of gardeners and butterflies alike. Butterfly bushes, Buddleia davidii, are fast-growing deciduous shrubs that will tempt butterflies and hummingbirds to visit your garden.
Try gently twisting a stem around your finger - if it snaps off, it's probably dead, but if it bends, it's probably alive. If it's late in the spring and you discover dead growth on your butterfly bush, prune it away. New growth can only come from living stems, and this should encourage it to start growing.
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Courtesy Janine Burke
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