Buddleia Wrecked by Sandy

Question

I live in New Bedford, Ma and we had some strong winds yesterday, thanks to Hurricane Sandy. My Butterfly bush is tilted over so that it’s touching the ground and a large root is exposed. What do I do? I’ve been thinking of pruning it to take off some of the weight and then staking it. I know you should not prune until spring. What do you folks suggest? Thanks, Rachelle

Answer 1

Butterfly bushes are pretty hardy. I would try to rebury as much of the rootball as possible. And, yes, to reduce stress to the plant, I would go ahead and prune it back.

In the spring, give it some bone meal to help it recover its roots.