Butterfly Bush

Question

We bought and plated 2 butterfly bushes last summer and they were beautiful. I did not cut them back in the fall and this spring the branches were all hard and dead. I cut them back and have noticed there are some leaves growing at the the root. Is this what happens each year or did we do something wrong.

Now that we are seeing some green at the base should we do anything special>

Thanks
Sharon Barga

Answer 1

Butterfly bush dies back almost to the ground in winter. Just how far back it dies depends on where you live. In Michigan, people cut their butterfly bushes back to 9-12 inches in late fall. So what you are seeing is normal. New growth starts at the base but may inch up into what remains of last year's branches.