Best time to take cuttings August. Use cuttings of firm new growth (4 inches long). ALSO take the cutting with a "heal" a small part of the nearest branch. Apply 0.8% IBA (Rooting hormone)Stick in well drained soil & mist taking 70-100 days to root. There is a not on this forum about both other plants.

I accidentally broke a large woody branch off my butterfly bush about 6 weeks ago. I plunked it in a glass of water after trimming off the end and it now has 3 inch long roots and is ready to plant.

Hello, Gosh, if it is THAT easy to root butterfly bush I have to try one! Thanks. Donna

70-100 days to root. Never had that happen to me. I take a two inch cutting, no heel, with two nodes, with both mature leaves cut in half. I root in a 2 part peat, 1 part medium coarse perlit, and 1 part fine fir bark. Rooting hormone is applied lightly, with the soil being moist before insertion. I fill plug trays, hexagonal 90, with the cuttings for maximum spacing. Misting is carried out every 45-60 minutes, with humidity kept at a constant. Neem oil is sprayed every week, to control botrytis and dampening off with the present humidity. Fetilizing is only applied once a week after root presentation.I can have a finished trade gallon container in less than 3 months, with flower buds emerging into color.

My boyfriend bought a beautiful plant this spring and before he took it home, I plucked off three small twigs, stuck them in a pot of not really good soil, watered and fertilized. Now they are growing and blooming - I just have to decide where to put them in the yard. They were too easy!

does any one in the portland oregon area have any clipping of butterfly bushes they would part with? i have a white and a plum purple. but i have soon many other colors online. if i could find someone out of state that could send me some little ones does any one think they would survive for a week in the us mail? i ask cause i start mine from branches that where less then 3 inches long just water and misting did not even plant until rooted.

thanks

I know this is a 3 year old post that I'm dredging up....but...
The electric people came by today and cut half of my Pink Delight Butterfly Bush back. Just broke my heart, but I guess they had to do it. So I have this absolutely HUGE pile of cuttings, from 1/2" thick to smaller. Some are 3' long.
Can I root all these ? I took the pile and cut it down to different lengths.

I started some Butterfly Bush cuttings back in Jan and posted a tutorial with photos about the process.
Keep your cuttings moist by placing the ends of your cuttings in a bucket of water until you get around to cutting them to size and sticking in ProMix.

Here is a link to that thread.....

Here is a link that might be useful: Butterfly Bush Cuttings with Photos

I have the opposite problem - my butterfly bushes sprout all over the place and have become nuisances. Also, the local State Dept of the Environment say they shouldn't be planted because they are invasive and not a good host for butterfly larva. There are native shrubs that are more beneficial.

I want to know if I can cut the root ball in half on my bush when I cut it back in the Spring. My bush seems to be smaller than other years, the flowers were not as big as last year. I have the Black Knight and last year they were huge and this year they were a lot smaller but the bush has a large root base and I would like to cut it in half if I can with out hurting the bush. Any info on this???

Butterfly bush can also be propagated through division of its roots. This can be done in spring or fall, depending on where you live and personal preference. Carefully dig up mature butterfly bushes and remove excess soil. Then either separate the roots by hand or use a spade shovel to divide the plants. You can transplant these into containers or place them in other suitable areas of the landscape.