Question
QUESTION: I live in Denver, CO and have a butterfly bush with some sort of problem.  I cut it back every spring and it grows nicely, gets ready to bloom and then never does flower.  The plant is green but the blossoms never sprout.  It has done this 3 or 4 years in a row?  Is there some disease that is causing this and, if so, how can I treat it?

ANSWER: HI

Sorry for the delay--computer crash and illness on my end.  If you wait until late spring to prune the plant, you are probably cutting off the flower buds.  The plant only produces flowers on the ends of branches of the new growth.  You may be waiting to late and cutting off the buds that will grow into the flowers.  Prune the plant in the winter while dormant.  Then the new growth should produce flowers.  Good Luck.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Actually, we did prune in early spring.  The plant produces plenty of buds, but just never flowers.  You can see hundreds of buds all over the plant now, but just no flowers.  Could we be overwatering or underwatering?

Answer
Then I would try some Miracle Gro Super Bloom fertilizer.  The plant may be a little deficient in phosphorus which aids in flower production.  Dont over do it with the fertilizer, just make about one foliar application every 7-10 days.  See if this helps it open those flowers.  Good Luck.