Missed Pruning Season? Here’s How to Rescue Your Butterfly Bush This Summer

Pruning your butterfly bushes is one of those necessary, but easily forgotten chores. A fear of doing it incorrectly, plus the busy nature of life, is a formula for an overgrown butterfly bush that doesn’t bloom well.

The good news is that if it’s too late to cut back your butterfly bush this year, there’s a very good chance it isn’t too far gone. Here’s the best plan of action that will ensure your butterfly bush produces an abundance of blooms next summer and fall.

Why Missing the Pruning Window Matters

The best time of year to do a hard prune is in the early spring, but after the final frost. When you cut back your butterfly bushes, you temporarily expose their hollow stems. The stems will take in water, which isn’t a problem if the temperatures stay above freezing. But if water freezes inside the stems, they will likely split.

Additionally, pruning in the spring is best because blooms form on new growth. You’ll be able to spot the new growth on your butterfly bush by the new leaf buds.

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3 Steps to Take If You Missed the Pruning Window

If you’ve missed the window for hard pruning in the spring, here’s what to do:

• Deadhead spent blooms: As your butterfly bush blooms throughout summer and fall, remove the spent blooms to encourage more blooming and prevent the seeds from spreading.
• Do a light prune before the chance of a frost: While it’s best to avoid pruning your butterfly bush outside of spring, you can lightly trim a few inches off its stems if it’s invading your other plants. Never prune your butterfly bush if there is a chance of a frost within 48 hours.
• Wait it out: Resist the urge to do a hard prune before next spring. You can do more harm than good if you prune at the incorrect time.

3 Signs Your Butterfly Bush Can Bounce Back

If you’ve missed the ideal pruning window for your butterfly bush (even for several years in a row), don’t dig it up just yet. Here are some signs that you can revive it come spring:

• There is a lot of new growth at the base: Since blooms form on new growth, it’s a good sign if you notice a lot of new growth coming up near the bush’s roots.
• It’s not leggy: If your butterfly bush is overgrown yet still lush and thick, it’s a good sign that it is receiving the right conditions to grow back compact, but more contained.
• It’s in a spot that receives enough sunlight: If your butterfly bush is in a spot that receives eight hours of bright sun, there’s a good chance it won’t grow back leggy.

How to Prune Correctly Next Spring

As a general rule of thumb, cut back your butterfly bush to be about one foot tall in the spring, but don’t go past the new leaf buds forming. This is called a hard prune.

A hard prune is different than light pruning. A hard prune is more drastic and involves cutting back the bush as close to the base as possible. Light pruning (removing just a few inches of the stems) is okay in the early fall, and can actually prevent your butterfly bush from seeding and spreading too much.