How To Prune Butterfly Bush

Pruning Fall is not the time to prune butterfly bushes.

How to prune butterfly bush. Butterfly bushes are perennial plants that die back to the ground every winter. If your butterfly bush is getting scraggly or out of control prune it- no matter what time of year it is. Step 4 Prune out dead stems.

The key to a healthy blooming butterfly bush is to prune it back in later winter or early spring and provide full sun or as close to that as you can get. When trimming a butterfly bush try cutting back the lateral branches to help train the shrub to grow into a desired shape or keep it within a specific area. In order to prune a butterfly bush you will require a sharp bypass pruning tool.

They then send out new growth from the roots in the spring. If the root ball is stuck in the container its best to use some snips to cut the container away. You prune the plant by cutting these stems downward towards the ground.

Since these are hardy shrubs they can tolerate frost and extreme cold conditions. Prune back all old growth nearly to ground level once each year in early spring before any new growth emerges. You can prune them either in the late fall or in the early spring before the new growth starts.

The butterfly bush will grow back vigorously and produce flowers from summer through frost. To keep the flowers coming until. Cutting the stems back in fall can make the shrub more vulnerable to freeze damage.

However particular pruning methods will help promote quicker growth and healthier blooms. Plant these shrubs in well-drained soil and in areas where they will receive a lot of sunshine throughout the day. As the head grows and fills in like the one above prune stems just as you would any other butterfly bush.