The flowers of a butterfly bush are vibrant-colored and honey-scented, attracting butterflies and other pollinating insects. Pruning these attractive plants becomes necessary for their maintenance. Understand how to prune butterfly bushes through these tips.

Butterfly bush, belonging to the genus Buddleia and family Scrophulariaceae, is a type of flowering plant, which is native to southern United States and Asia. There are about 100 species of this genus, which are adapted to various environmental conditions. Some of the species are dioecious (male and female reproductive organs in different plants) while some are monoecious (male and female reproductive organs in the same plant). As the very name suggests, a butterfly bush is highly attractive to butterflies, honeybees, and other beneficial pollinating insects. At times, you may observe attractive hummingbirds drawing nectar from the ravishing red flowers of a butterfly bush.

Plant Description
Majority of the species of butterfly bush exhibit a shrub habit (about 5 meters height), while a few of them are trees (tallest being 30 meters long). The leaves are elongated and arranged in an opposite manner to the stem. The plant blooms in dense panicle inflorescence (about 10 - 45 cm long), in which the flowers are tubular with four spreading petals. Depending upon the cultivator, the flower color may be white, pink, yellow, orange, red, or violet. The fruit type is a capsule that contains many seeds. For proper maintenance, mulching and pruning these bushes in spring time are necessary. Let's look at some basic tips to prune butterfly bushes.

Pruning Butterfly Bushes
Butterfly bush is a favorite ornamental plant for many gardening enthusiasts. It is often planted in the borders of flower beds or as protective hedges. It is suited for growing in any garden theme. For plantation, butterfly bush grows best in sunny areas and well-drained soil. Like any other shrubs, pruning this bush is essential to enhance its appearance as well as to remove dead and diseased branches. Some basic tips for clipping butterfly bushes are as follows.

Regarding the pruning time for this hardy shrub, the most common question is when to prune butterfly bush? Though pruning can be done throughout the year, the best time is during cold months (for any zone), when the plants are in their dormant state. Doing so will help in easy recovery of the plants when the growing conditions are favorable. Some hobbyists prefer to prune the butterfly bush during spring for better flowering. In such a case, one should always maintain a specific height of the bushes (at least 3 feet).

In order to prune a butterfly bush, you will require a sharp bypass pruning tool. You can cut the dead and dry stems at the base during the fall. For the other healthy branches, cut till they attain a height of 2 - 3 feet. Heavy mulching should be done to control weeds. Since these are hardy shrubs, they can tolerate frost and extreme cold conditions. Hence, pruning to the ground is not necessary for proper recovery of the plants. As soon as the winter period is over, butterfly bushes will grow rapidly. You can supplement the soil with organic fertilizers for better growth.

For pruning butterfly bushes in spring and summer months, you can cut off the branches that are growing out of control. Remove branches as per your choice by using a sharp pruning shear to maintain a desired shape. Ensure that you do not over trim the branches, as the plants will require a long time for resprouting. In simple terms, heavy pruning during spring may lead to late flowering of the butterfly bushes.