Q: I’m sure I’ve heard you advise to prune a butterfly bush after a hard freeze. Did you say to cut it back to about twelve or eighteen inches?

A: Many gardeners have found that a small butterfly bush quickly becomes huge. They shade and smother just about anything nearby. The good news is that the shrub looks better and flowers more profusely if pruned severely (down to 12 – 18 inches) each winter. Prune yours any time between now and late February.