Our Butterfly bushes get cut back to only a few inches from the ground. In
doing this we get more stems ( a bushier look). Last year mine grew to about
5'. I am in zone 5b. The large on is in the south and the smaller one was
under a Mantoba Maple and still did well. We cut down the Maple this winter
so we should see how well it grows now.

--
Dana
www3.sympatico.ca/lostmermaid
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
vincent p. norris writes:
| What I'd like to know is whether I can whack the whole thing back by
half...... Is it bulletproof enough for drastic measures?
|
| Be careful. I cut mine back to the ground and it never grew back.

As with most shrubs (and people), they are more resilient when young.
In general, B. davidii and several others can be cut back as hard as
you like. It is generally a good idea to avoid cutting them back to
wood that is more than a few (say, 3-5) years old.

But don't worry - they are short-lived anyway, and will regrow
within a year or two from a new plant.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.