The easiest trick to check something is dead is to soend five mins with a
pair of secateurs just gradually cutting off peices and checking the
cross-section for sign of life. Taken to the extreme you could have a pile
of matchsticks by your feet, but if there is no sign of green nothing is
lost is it?
I would not prune a young buddleia (butterfly bush) so young. Leave it alone
for the first couple of years to get properly established then begin pruning
regime.
Regards
Mike Gilmore
www.winsfordwalledgarden.freeserve.co.uk


"SugarChile" wrote in message
...
I'm also PA, zone 6. I have one that I trim to almost the ground; it is
just now starting to send up new shoots. Another that I wait until
spring
to trim is leafing out quite a bit.

The winter is not usually a problem for them, unless you have one of the
yellow cultivars. I've found that they are not as hardy as the purples
and
the whites.

I'd give it a bit more time before writing it off.

Sue

--

Zone 6, South-central PA

"styxx374" wrote in message
...
I live in Pennsylvania, zone 6. I bought a purple butterfly bush last
May.
We cut it back in the fall, so right now it stands about 3-4 feet. It is
planted about 10-15 feet from our house on the east side in a 6"raised
bed.
As of today, May 2, it still has not shown any buds. It is my
understanding
that butterfly bushes are late in "waking up," but I am concerned that
it
didn't make it through our cold winter.

Does anyone have any pointers or suggestions?

Jennifer