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Butterfly bush buddleia...is it dead??

16 years ago

Last year I planted two lavender eyes butterfly bushes. They bloomed beautifully all season. Last fall I pruned one down (accidentally) but I read that they should (or could) be pruned. So, earlier this spring I pruned the other one. However, now I only have two little piles of sticks. I have read that they are late bloomers but should I see something?

I live in Southern Dutchess.

Anyone else in the area with these bushes that are still not blooming? I don't see any green?

Are they dead or should I wait a little longer?

Thanks!!!

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Comments (8)

corapegia
16 years ago
We regularly prune buddleia, sometimes fall and if we miss it, in spring. Mine are all showing growth and have been for a couple of weeks. I don't know if your cultivars are hardy but I think most colors are. If you have no growth on either, they might be dead. I don't think voles eat the roots but it can't hurt to check. I'm sorry.
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oldroser
16 years ago
Mine are up an inch or so - are you in a cold area?
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nycynthias
16 years ago
Mine are really growing like mad, but no signs of blooms yet. They normally bloom in my yard starting in late June. I'm in Northern Westchester (Zone 6), and I cut mine back in late fall by about half, and then give them a hard pruning in very early spring. Right now they are about 2.5 feet tall already thanks to all the rain we've been having, interspersed with beautiful sunny days. They top out at about 6 feet normally, and these are only 4-year old plants. Mine are planted in a southwest exposure.
I am not aware of any buddleia that aren't hardy to at least Zone 5, so I kind of doubt yours were winter-killed, but I could be wrong. It could be that something got to the roots and had a chomp, as corapegia mentioned, or I guess it's possible that yours are planted in a cold pocket?
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tommyr_gw Zone 6
16 years ago
Mine are slow going but this is my first spring with them. Once the weather warms up I'm sure they'll take off!
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candyinpok
16 years ago
Mine are green. I cut them back after they had started sprouting this year, so I set them back a few weeks in their development I think.
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cccatcrazy
15 years ago
Intermittent hard frosts have caused new shoots to die back twice already this spring, but they seem to be taking breaking out again this week. Our butterfly bushes are ten years old. Each spring we cut them back to about a foot to a foot and a half of old wood. They "sprout out" from that and usually die back at least once before "having another go". My bushes are surrounded by wild violets to mask their twigginess early on, and don't begin to sprout until after the violets have finished flowering --

We have four bushes planted closely together -- white, pink and purple -- the white blooms first, followed by the pink, and the purple is last -- but all are blooming for a couple of weeks in mid-August, when it looks like one 6' x 6' rainbow bush -- and is truly striking!

We don't cut it back until Spring because the raceme seed pods stay in place and get covered with snow. An attractive addition in the middle of winter!
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purplepassion_garden
12 years ago
zone 8 : 2nd year plant in full sun. It had a healthy leaves and bloomed this past month, then it took a turn for the worst. Can anyone help : here is a link to the photo : http://ow.ly/58rnz

Thanks for the help...

Here is a link that might be useful: Buddleia picture
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tommyr_gw Zone 6
12 years ago
Wow that stinks. Look like maybe a virus of some kind. It may be time to replace that one or trim it down and hit it with a good fungicide.
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