Doug Kanter wrote:
No web links as responses, please. I'm looking for input from
people who've actually owned & maintained a butterfly bush,
preferably in a northern climate, zone 5-7. I'm in 5/6, depending
on luck (Rochester NY). No theoretical responses, in other words,
like marital advice from priests.
My new (as of 9/04) house came complete with a butterfly bush near
the front door. It's 6' high & 8' wide - a real monster,
considering it's position near the sidewalk. In its center are 3
dead "trunks" about 3" thick. The previous owner cut them down to
3' and used them as attachment points for wires which support the
outer, thinner branches (not sure that's necessary-they seem woody
and stiff enough). The bulk of the growth looks like what you'd
call "suckers", if they were coming out of the base of a small
tree. These branches were very healthy last fall, supporting lots
of good leaf & flower growth, and poking everyone in the face as we
walked by.
I pruned some of the pokiest branches back a bit (for safety) in
September, and they grew back quickly within a couple of weeks.
What I'd like to know is whether I can whack the whole thing back
by half, in the hope that maybe I'll end up with a 3-5' diameter,
instead of 8+ feet. The thing seems to grow like a weed. Is it
bulletproof enough for drastic measures?
This is the only flower I've ever seen which attracted bees the
size of grapefruits. Absolutely amazing to watch.

You can prune it to the ground in late winter and it will grow from its
roots in the spring and flower in the summer.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8b
Sunset Zone 5