Butterfly bush lost its leaves

Question

Two days ago I mulched around my 3 yr old butterfly bush. Leaves suddenly curled up and fell off. Can I save it? Please help.

Answer 1

Unless your mulch contained something harmful, the timing of the leaf curl may be coincidental. There are a couple of fungal root rot diseases that can cause leaf drop. Remove all the dead and fallen leaves and debris from around the plant and treat it with neem oil, including the mulch.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/butterfly-bush/butterfly-bush-diseases.htm
The bush may also appreciate a trim or even a good pruning. Here's a helpful article on that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/butterfly-bush/butterfly-bush-pruning-how-to-prune-a-butterfly-bush.htm