Fountain butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia): when and how to prune

Fountain butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia): when to prune it?

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Straight after flowering, in late June or July. Never in spring, or you cut off the flower buds.

What else to prune in those months? July

Fountain butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia): how to prune it?

1. Cut flowered branches back to a strong, young side shoot lower down the branch.
2. Each year remove a few of the oldest branches at the base to keep the shrub open and young.
3. On a standard, shorten the flowered branches so the crown does not get too heavy, and remove shoots on the stem.
4. Cut out dead and weak branches.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: July.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in July can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Fountain butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia) flowers in June, when it attracts bees and butterflies.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Butterfly bush
• Orange-ball tree (Buddleja globosa)
• Barberry
• Blackthorn
• Californian lilac
• Deutzia

Plant profile: Fountain butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia) · Pruning calendar and basic rules