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Tennessee Gardening

Should I prune butterfly bushes back?

18 years ago

These butterfly bushes were planted by the TV show when they created our retaining wall in the front of the house last July. Obviously they VERY happy there. But they are very unkempt looking - should I prune them? Is it ok to do that now? I would not cut off the tips of branches. If I cut, the whole branch would have to go.

Thoughts?

-Regina

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Comments (7)

peri__n_eal
18 years ago
I'm not sure what you were expecting them to look like---but that is pretty much what they do-----only bigger and fuller over time. They don't often have a great form but most people tolerate them for the blooms and fragrance that attract the butterflies and bees.

If you cut them now, you would be cutting much of the future bloom, though that could be done as long as it is not a severe pruning and is not very hot and dry.

You might wait until they start blooming and thin out a limb at a time so you can bring a few inside in a vase with any other flowers you might have blooming at the time.

I have tried to limb them up to make them look standard or tree like but it is a never ending battle to keep the new grow pinched back.

I have given up and just let them do their thing.I kind of clip out the dead stuff, thin out a few branches at the trunk and keep the tops at a reasonable height. The wind seems to catch them and knock them over if they get too tall.
amazondoc
18 years ago
You can definitely cut back butterfly bushes -- but this is the wrong time of year to do it!

In early spring, just when plants are starting to bud out, THEN cut back just as hard as you'd like. If you want to keep the bushes reasonably short, then you can cut them nearly to the ground. If you like them large, then don't cut so much.
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Should I cut back this butterfly bush?
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Comments (8)
Since it's clearly alive, I can't imagine there's any danger of trimming. It looks like there are 2 (live) tall branches sticking up much higher. Unless those 2 are very sturdy, I would cut them back, just above the lower growing nodes on those branches. If they are at all floppy, they won't be able to support all of the growth they will produce, and start to lean far away from the center. If it's just leaning over another part of the bed, that might be OK, but if it's going to lean into the yard, that could get annoying. If you are going to trim any live parts, I would do it soon before the plant wastes energy on those parts. The bonus is that the trimmed parts are extremely likely to grow if you keep them moist-not-soggy, mostly shady (until you notice new signs of growth.) With most cuttings, it's necessary to remove most of the foliage but I don't find that to be necessary for Buddleia cuttings.
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What if I don't cut back a butterfly bush?
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Comments (12)
I have an old Black Knight that is sited in my front garden near the driveway and street growing under pretty challenging conditions - full sun, dry sandy-ish soil, exposed to severe northwest winter winds. The thing is doing great! I am very pleased with how this particular cultivar performs as we are close to the borderline of hardiness for Buddleia in our zone and this is not a sheltered location at all. The Black Knight grows about 7 feet tall each season, which is tall enough as it is - can't imagine how large it would grow if it wasn't cut back. I cut it down sometime in April when the new shoots appear from the old wood. Just above the green buds so it's about 12-16" high. I also thin out some of the weaker or dead stems and maybe even remove some of the shoots. Btw, I also have a Pink Delight which is not as vigorous so I don't usually cut that one down as low as the Black Knight. Here's what it looks like this Spring after it got its pruning -
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They SHOULD have named Butterfly bushes Bumble bee bushes!
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Comments (17)
The way I tell the difference is bumble = hairy butt and carpenter = smooth/shiny butt (technically called "hairless"). I had always thought it was "butt" & not "abdomen", but thanks to Google, I found how wrong I was terminology wise, LOL. I always thought the abdomen was the center of the bee, not the bottom part. From the attached link: General Bumble Bee Information The "Bumble Bee" is a big, hairy, black and yellow bee whose size can range from 3/4 inch to 1 1/2 inch. This insect is often mistaken for a carpenter bee, which closely resembles the bumble bee in appearance. Carpenter bees have a shiny and smooth abdomen as opposed to the fuzzy abdomen seen on a bumble bee. The pic posted by terrene is a carpenter bee. Here is a link that might be useful: Bumble Bee Biology
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Can I cut my butterfly bushes back this late?
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Comments (12)
I'm not a buddleia expert, but, I think the butterfly bush pruning rules apply mainly to cold, continental type climates, where a late freeze in May could stunt its ability to successfully make new growth for the duration of the growing season. I don't think it gets that cold in London, does it? I'm under the impression that all of Britain has a fairly mild climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream. I live in a mild climate (except for the hot, humid summers) and mine hold most of their leaves all winter long - I prune mine to about 2 ft. - 3 ft. tall in early spring. If yours has grown 10 ft. tall, then you must be getting enough heat for good growth. I say, go ahead and prune it, it'll probably do it good, make it bloom more, which is what you really want. It's your garden, and if it's blocking much-needed UK light, then it needs a trim! Sherry
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Big_Orange_Vol
18 years ago
Regina, I want those edgers!!!!! Where can I get some?
bluetruck99
18 years ago
dig em out and plant Chaste Tree's.
rizzir
Original Author
18 years ago
Big_Orange_Vol, are you talking about the retaining wall material? It's a composite timber made of recycled plastic. The TV show provided it - not sure where you get it. It's apparently quite expensive, but it lasts a LOOOOOOOOOONG time. It's got a UV blocker in it so it won't get brittle.
Big_Orange_Vol
18 years ago
Ok, I know exactly what it is now, thanks! I thought that it was a concrete lentil. I figured that they must weigh 150 lbs or better, Duh. I haven't seen it in that light of a color before.
donna_stevens
18 years ago
I pruned mine back in late winter, they are now full of buds, I also have a fence behind them that I can tie them to, to try to upright them a little more

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