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How to Prune & Divide a Butterfly Bush
How to Prune & Divide a Butterfly Bush. The butterfly bush is almost indestructible. When it comes to pruning, more is better than none. Have no fear of cutting too much or hurting this attractive plant. It will rebound the next spring with a profusion of bigger and better flowers on a healthy, vigorous plant.
The butterfly bush is almost indestructible. When it comes to pruning, more is better than none. Have no fear of cutting too much or hurting this attractive plant. It will rebound the next spring with a profusion of bigger and better flowers on a healthy, vigorous plant.
Things You'll Need
Pruning shears/hand saw
Rake
Pitch fork
Shovel
Rake back in early spring any leaves that have accumulated around the base of the butterfly bush and any mulch that was applied the previous season.
Cut back all the branches to the ground, using pruning shears or a hand saw. Toss the branches into a compost pile to keep decay away from the base of the tree. Removing all the wood will force the plant to produce new wood and larger, more prolific flower heads.
Plunge a garden fork into the crown of the butterfly bush about 4 inches in from the outer edge, facing outward. Jump on the fork and pull it back to loosen the roots. Lift the section from the crown and set it on the ground close by.
Fill in the hole left by the removal of the division with new soil, tamping it down to prevent drying out of the crown. Take several divisions from very large crowns, leaving at least a 4-inch diameter for the original crown.
Plant the new divisions immediately in a hole as deep as they were previously, in a sunny spot with good drainage. Apply about 1/2 inch of water and wait for new growth to emerge.
Tips & Warnings
In U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 and 6, the cold will kill the butterfly bush to the ground, but it will come back in the spring.
The butterfly bush is considered invasive in some states.
