h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

HELLO ANY ONE THERE

CAN ANY ONE TELL ME HOW TO TRIM A BUTTERFLY BUSH , SO THAT IT WILL
KEEP ON BLOOMING ?

Hi there. In my experience it hasn't been necessary to prune in order to keep my Butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) blooming. They start in late Summer and go on until they are stopped by hard frosts. I leave the plants undisturbed through the Winter, as the seed pods turn a nice chocolate brown and look nice against the snow. The only pruning I do is to cut them back hard every Spring. If your weather is mild enough that you don't have the natural statute of limitations we do, you might try cutting out the older branches in order to promote new growth, the same as Weigelia. Otherwise, you might simply snip off the old flowers as they fade. Don't be overly concerned about the effects of heavy pruning. I had a bed run over by a car late last summer; and the plants have come back nicely this year, despite being cut back so late. hope this helps.

JTG