Shrubs - Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
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  (January) I would like to know when to prune my Butterfly Bush? My friend said she thought it should be done in February, but she wasn't sure. Also, how low do I trim it?

  Prune your butterfly bush or buddleia back hard in late February to early March. Butterfly bush blooms on the current season growth, so pruning it back to within a foot or two from the ground should aid in good blooming, and help to keep the plant manageable.

  (February) When and how much do I prune my Butterfly Bushes?

  Butterfly bushes bloom on the current season growth, and should be pruned fairly severely in late February to mid March. If you don't prune them, they begin to get quite large and gangly, and your flowers will be smaller and only on the tips of the plants. Be aware that many buddleias (butterfly bushes) have some new foliage growth on them now. It still will not hurt their flowering to prune now or in a week or two.

  (March) Can I cut back the forsythia after it blooms? And isn't it time to cut back the Rose of Sharon bushes, crepe myrtles and butterfly bushes?

  Forsythia should be pruned after bloom. Remove one third of the old canes down at the soil line to encourage new growth. There is still time to prune Rose-of-Sharon, crape myrtle and butterfly bush, as all of these plants bloom on the current season growth. Try to do it soon since new growth is beginning.

  (March) Is it time now to cut my monkey grass and my butterfly bush?

  Yes, now is the time to cut back all ornamental grasses and summer blooming plants such as buddleia, summer spiraea and roses. When cutting the grasses, be sure to check to see how much new growth is emerging, so you don't cut it too closely. On buddleia or butterfly bush, cut it back severely to encourage plenty of new growth and flowers.

  (July) Please advise when and what type fertilizer should be used on our butterfly bush.

  Butterfly bushes are blooming nicely now. Fertilize them once or twice a year with a complete fertilizer -- when new growth begins in the spring, and again in mid summer. You want them to continue to put on new growth, since that is where the flowers are set, but you don't want to overdo it, since they grow quite quickly on their own.

  (August) My butterfly bush didn't bloom very well this year. How and when do you prune it?

  Buddleia, or butterfly bush should be pruned hard every year in late February or early March. They bloom on the new growth, and will have more flowers if they can produce more new growth. If you don't prune, you end up with a gangly bush with few flowers.

  (October) Last spring, I purchased a butterfly bush twig and a lilac twig from a local store. They both lived and one of them bloomed! I planted the lilac and butterfly bush in large containers with fresh potting soil. The butterfly bush (purple blooms) is gangly but still blooming; the lilac has grown to a little over a foot high and is healthy and green. My question is what to do with them this winter? I would rather not put them in the ground here in Benton since I'm renting. I do have a closed in garage.

  All plants are easier to maintain in the ground rather than in pots, but if your stay is temporary you may want to keep them in pots. One solution would be to "plant" or sink the pots in the ground. Put the plants in large containers, and then dig a hole in the ground. You can actually sink the container in the ground -- with proper drainage holes, it will do fine. The task of lifting the pots after they have been "planted" isn't always easy since roots will escape through the drainage holes and try to peg down, but the bulk of the roots will be contained in the pot, and should be easier to transplant without damage. The plants will also be more winter tolerant and retain moisture better in the ground. Prune the buddleia hard next spring before growth begins, and wait until after bloom on the lilac to do any shaping or pruning if needed. Both would prefer to be outside for the winter, rather than in the garage. If you decide to simply leave them above ground in pots, be aware of temperature changes and moisture levels during the winter.

  (November) My mom has a butterfly bush that she is needing to move. When is the best time to move it and cut it back? Also, she wants to plant a hibiscus. When should she plant it?

  Buddleia, or butterfly bush should be pruned back hard every year before new growth begins in late February. That would be an ideal time to move it as well. I assume she wants to plant a hardy hibiscus, and your best selections would be next growing season, in late spring or early summer.

  I ordered what I thought were lilac bushes from a mail order catalog. They have been blooming their hearts out all summer, and have been great. A friend told me they weren’t lilacs, but butterfly bushes. The plants have long spikes of flowers, and I have pink, white, purple and a dark purple variety. The plants have grown a good five feet this year alone. What do you think I have, and what is their care?

  I do think you have the butterfly bush, Buddleia. You actually got a better performer, than if you had received what you ordered-- the lilac. Lilacs bloom only in the spring, and are fairly sporadic bloomers in Arkansas. They like a cooler environment. Buddleia’s bloom all summer and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. They should be readily available at local nurseries. They do best in full sun to partial shade. Since they bloom on the current season growth, and they are prolific growers, they should be pruned hard in the spring, prior to new growth beginning.

  My butterfly bush is still blooming. It grew and grew all summer and is now overtaking that end of the flower bed. Can I prune it back now, or should I wait for a killing frost? How far back can I cut it without damaging it? (Pine Bluff)

  Butterfly bushes, or Buddleia, is a wonderful plant that can bloom well into winter, depending on our season. It blooms on the current season growth, so wait and do your pruning in late February, prior to new growth beginning. You want to prune it hard every year–within a foot or two of the ground. This will keep the plant in bounds, and give you more blooms. As you noticed this year, they are prolific growers, and if you don’t prune, the plant becomes unwieldy and only blooms on the tips of the branches. You don’t want to prune too early in the winter, or you have an ugly plant to look at, and one that is more sensitive to winter injury.

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