Winterize Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bush need perfect drainage.
Winterize butterfly bush. Butterfly bushes are hollow stem plants. Mulch the plants generously to protect them during the winter. Bee balm is a flower that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to.
Place a 3- to 4-inch 76 to 10 cm layer of mulch around the root zone as further butterfly bush winter protection. How to Winterize Butterfly Bush. While most plants benefit from a 2-3 layer of mulch over winter this may exacerbate winter damage on butterfly bushes.
However there is a certain time to prepare butterfly bushes for the winter. Many gardeners prune their butterfly bushes all the way to the ground as winter approaches. Butterfly bushes are hollow stem plants.
This dormant-season pruning allows extra root and evergy reserves to quickly heal the wounds and supports vigorous spring growth. When doing your fall clean-up avoid pruning Butterfly Bush all the way back here in zone 7 where winter is approaching. Bee balm is a perennial wild flower grown for many purposes in a flower garden.
If a severe winter is on the way this practice could be detrimental to your plant. The key to getting a butterfly bush through winter especially in USDA zone 5 and 6 is well-drained soil particularly when the temperatures are low but the ground is not frozen. Many gardeners prune their butterfly bushes all the way to the ground in late winter.
Although most types of butterfly bush grow in zones 5 through 9 some tender types need milder winter temperatures found in at least zone 7 or 8. But since butterfly bushes only bloom on new growth many gardeners prune them severely each spring to encourage lots of new growth and lots of flowers. Lift the plant from the pot in spring before the onset of the spring flush of growth.