I'm new to this, but I usually wait and prune mine to within a few inches of the ground at the end of the growing season. I've also read that you can prune before it starts growing again in the spring. But I've also read that people use butterfly bush for cut flowers, so that probably means you can prune it during the growing season too. What do the experts out there think?

Deadhead spent blooms, you should find more flowers following. Plus, you'll save yourself the frustration of a zillion unwanted seedlings to pull.

Then hard prune in late winter (here), early Spring (colder climates).

bumpalump, I always pick or cut off the dead blooms on all my flowers to keep seed pods from forming, all except the Rose of Sharon, way too many flowers, I just cut back all the bushes, a foot or two, after the first frost. Don't know if that's the right way though... LOL

MorZ8, I planted a Butterfly bush, seedling I would guess, this year and it hasn't got over a foot and a half tall. Should I still 'hard' prune it next spring? By 'hard prune' do you mean cutting it back almost to the ground?

Rita

If it's still at 18", I think I'd just take off the top few inches in early Spring. When it's gained a little size (and these grow quickly), you can start cutting back to 5 - 12" of the ground each year, up to a month before new growth begins for the season.

Thanks everyone. I actually never even thought of using for cut flowers. I'll give it a trimming and see what happens. BTW, anyone ever grown moonflower?

Thanks for the info MorZ8!

Anyone know how the double underscores got in my post? I didn't put them there...

Rita

Hmmmm, they're not there now... I must have got too much sun today... LOL

Rita

The underscored words are ads that IVillage has put in the posts. If you put your cusor on the word, a link will pop up.

Thanks Nurmey... I just spent 3 hours reading all about it... lol I now know to keep my cursor away from them...

Rita