Use and Care Manual

more important with butterfly bush, as amending any soil, and particularly clay
soil, can cause drainage problems.
o Plant “high” – instead of positioning the plant even with the ground level like you
would other plants, dig a slightly shallower hole (yep, that means less work!) and
position it so that the base of the plant is a bit higher than the ground. This creates
a small “hill” that encourages water to drain away from the plant rather than settle
around it.
o Avoid mulching directly around your butterfly bush. Mulch is a great idea for
other species of plants, but in clay soil, it can hold too much moisture. Go ahead
and mulch your beds, but give your butterfly bush a bit of clearance, and never
mulch all the way up to the main stems.
4. Prune in spring, after the new growth emerges. Many people cut their butterfly
bush back in autumn, as part of their fall clean up. But particularly in cold climates,
this can leave your butterfly bush more susceptible to damage over winter. Do not
prune until you see green buds on the stems. Make your cuts just above where big,
healthy leaf buds have formed. It can take several weeks into spring for new
growth to show up - be patient and resist the urge to cut them back too early.
5. Be patient. Butterfly bushes tend to be one of the later plants to leaf out in
spring. Even if everything else in your landscape is turning green, that doesn’t
mean you’ve lost your butterfly bush. Many people recommend waiting til as late
as Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June) to be certain their butterfly bush
perished. It can be very surprising to see how quickly a butterfly bush can recover,
even if it takes that long to come back!
6. Don’t overwater. Particularly if you have clay soil, watch watering carefully. If
you have an irrigation system, be sure it’s not inundating your butterfly bush. Signs
of overwatering include weak stems, fewer flowers, and dieback.