When do you cut back butterfly bushes?

Since it blooms on new growth, you should prune the butterfly bush plant back to the ground during its dormancy in winter. Alternatively, you can wait until early spring. Pruning will help to encourage new growth. read more

Butterfly Bush Transplant Pruning. If you want to keep the butterfly bush looking its best, including newly transplanted bushes, a simple trimming may be just what the doctor ordered. 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. read more

Otherwise, it can be too much on the plant to adequately recover. But with butterfly bush, they can handle cutting back even to the ground or close to it. However, I would not advise that. Cut it back as much as you need to get it back into the size and shape you want, considering the new growth that will be happening in spring and summer. read more

The plants can die back to the ground where winters are cold, but emerge back from the roots in spring. Spring Pruning Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), the most common variety, blooms on new wood and gets its main pruning in late winter or early spring, when new buds emerge in warmer climates. read more