Butterfly Bush Not Blooming?

Question:

My butterfly bush is not blooming this year, why? I have the one withblooms that look like little purple butterflies. It's about six ft.tall and three ft. wide, healthy but no blooms

Hardiness Zone: 9b

Norma from Deep South

Answer:

Norma,

Poor growth, wilting, yellowing, or leaf drop would all be signs of concern, but as long as your butterfly bush appear healthy, don't worry about it. From what you've written in your posts here, it sounds like you planted your butterfly bush about a year ago. Many times after planting a tree or shrub (even if blooming when you bought it), it takes a season or two for it to settle in before it starts blooming again. Some of this is due to transplant shock. For the first 1 to 3 years shrubs will often switch their focus into generating new roots rather than putting energy into pouring their energy into producing flowers. Your shrub may show some top growth while it's settling in, but the flowers will probably lag behind a bit.

Like most shrubs, butterfly bushes will benefit from a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch. Once established they are fairly drought tolerant and only require moderate fertilization. Improper pruning is another reason butterfly bushes fail to flower. Pruning should be done in the early spring, leaving four to five buds at the base of each shoot. The exception to this is Fountain buddleia and Golden buddleia, which both flower on old wood. They should be pruned just after flowering in the summer. For best performance, make sure your butterfly bush has full sun and is not shaded by trees or buildings.

Ellen