Mastering the Art of Butterfly Bush Pruning: 7 Crucial Guidelines to Follow
Effin' bloomin' butterfly bushes, eh? These bad boys can grown like a weed, pun intended, adding 5 feet or more of new growth in a single beejesus-fueled season. But to keep your garden from turning into one big butterfly bush, it's crucial to know how and when to slice and dice these suckers, aka, pruning. This ain't just about size management–if you're growing an old-school butterfly bush, the damn thing can reseed wildly, escaping into Mother Nature's own backyard. Here are some tips to make your pruning cuts count.
Since these bushes are highly invasive in many parts of the US, it's best to check with your local extension office before letting 'em grow wild. If they're a no-no in your neck of the woods, opt for a newer, seedless variety or stick with native shrubs.
When to Cut your Butterfly Bush
The ideal time to prune your butterfly bush? Late spring, once the buds swell up and the leaves begin to emerge. Why? Winter dieback is common for these shrubs in cold areas, and waiting for the leaves to appear ensures you're making cuts on the intact parts of the plant.
Butterfly Bush Pruning Tips
1. Invasive? Time to Cry 'Uncle'
Butterfly bushes are an invasive species from China that have run amok in gardens and spread like wildfire in natural areas across the country. Unless you've got a cultivar bred for sterile seeds, it's time to bid this plant adieu to save our native ecosystems.
If you're pining for the attributes of butterfly bushes but want to keep it eco-friendly, look for plants in the 'Lo & Behold' series and the 'Miss' series. These cultivars have damn-near-sterile seeds, so they won't spread like a wildfire.
2. Chill the eff out
Butterfly bushes are one of the last plants to pop up in spring. In colder regions, expect to wait until mid-June (or even later) for your plant to emerge from its winter slumber. Be patient and give it some time. Once the air warms up and the ball's rolling, your bush will grow like a weed. If there's no sign of life past June, and the stems feel dried-out and brittle, it's game frickin' over.
3. Size Matters
The warmer your area, the more pruning your damn butterfly bush needs in spring. To keep a compact shrub with flowers at eye level, cut back about one-third of the shrub's branches to ground level. Go for the oldest stems first, then hack the rest down to 3 feet tall or less. It's rough, but it'll keep the flowers at eye level and give the damn plant a nice shape all season long.
4. Deadhead like a boss
Regularly cut back spent blooms to stop the seeds from dropping like a rock. A practice called deadheading will encourage your butterfly bush to continue blooming into fall. Don't be shy—cut the fading flower stalk back to the first set of leaves, and new flower shoots will sprout like magic below the cut.
5. Pull out the big guns
Butterfly bushes are tough and tolerate extreme pruning like a champ. Cutting a runaway plant back to just a couple of inches in early spring is an excellent way to rejuvenate it. In cold Hardiness Zones, expect the shrub to rebloom like a bulldozer on steroids.
6. Light touches for small cultivars
Many new, sterile butterfly bush cultivars reach only 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Light pruning in spring will keep them neat, while still promoting solid growth and plenty of flowers. Take out stray branches and trim back when needed to give your plant some elbow room.
7. On your marks, butterfly bush! Get set, PRUNE!
Don't snooze on pruning your butterfly bush, especially the larger varieties. A good pruning session takes less than 20 minutes, and the soft wood and easy-to-navigate branch structure make it a breeze. Invest some time now, and your damn shrub will thank you by offering a compact shape filled withflowers for your enjoyment all summer long.
- Effin' bloomin' butterfly bushes, or shrubs vines, can grow rapidly, adding 5 feet or more of new growth in a single season, requiring regular pruning for size management.
- To ensure optimal pruning results, it's best to prune your butterfly bush, or shrub, late spring, once the buds swell up and the leaves begin to emerge, as winter dieback is common in cold areas.
- Growing an old-school butterfly bush can lead to widespread reseeding, escaping into Mother Nature's own backyard, but seedless varieties, such as those in the 'Lo & Behold' and 'Miss' series, are available for eco-friendly gardening.
- Regular deadheading of spent blooms on butterfly bushes, or shrubs, will encourage continued blooming into fall and prevent seeds from dropping like a rock.
- Cutting a runaway butterfly bush, or shrub, back to just a couple of inches in early spring is an effective method for rejuvenating it, especially in colder regions, where the shrub is likely to rebloom like a bulldozer on steroids.
