I’ll Cover My Butterfly Bushes With Mulch For Winter In Upstate South Carolina. Do I Remove The Mulch After The Last Frost?

Question

These are new bushes, purchased this year (three-gallon pots) and planted in a bed that gets morning shade and then full Sun from noon to seven. They are currently about 2 1/2 feet tall, appear healthy, thriving and we are seeing butterflies! Want to be sure we enjoy them for years to come.

Answer 1

Your zone is warm enough (7b to 8a) that you should only need a 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch beneath the plant during winter. Leave the plant unpruned during winter to help protect it. Then in late winter or early spring, cut the plant down to about 8 inches from the ground. New growth will soon appear and your plant will bloom on the new growth. You can leave the mulch beneath the plant year round. These articles should help with its care.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/butterfly-bush/

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/butterfly-bush/overwinter-a-butterfly-bush.htm