I hope someone in your zone will post and help you. However i believe i would wait a few more weeks.

Thanks...I did get some helpful input from a fellow zone dweller :)

I'm in zone 5. I don't touch my bushes until I see new, green growth, then trim all the dead wood down to about 5 or 6 inches. Enjoy yours, they're fabulous.

That's a good tip sewobsessed. Guess I will check for new growth. Given the warm weather I feel the plants will break out from dormancy earlier than usual this year.

Thanks Plant Lady. 2 summers ago I was in the butterfly garden of Bronx zoo. That was the first time I noticed Buddleia bush. The bright purple flower clumps, intense sweet fragrance of nectar and butterflies crowding over each plant blew me over. I took a mental note of growing my own bush whenever I have had my own place.

Needless to say I could hardly contain my joy when I saw the plant right by the patio where I can enjoy a good view of all the actions.

I am yet to see it during its peek season and want to do everything right so that it can come up with the most spectacular show :)

would you recommend adding any fertilizer? If yes when should I apply?

thanks yet again :)

You're welcome! Well, peak season happens without fertilizer!

I've never fertilized mine and the bush is unstoppable to the point where I have to trim some back to get through the walkway. Lots of times I've stood there and watched the butterflies because there were so many, and so many varieties! They do attract a lot of bees too though, but we just get the big bumblebees slow that just ignore you if you ignore them, because they just want to get to the pollen, not to you. They're also fun to watch.

The blooms last for quite a while, but part way through blooming, I trim off the dead flowers, which has proven over the years to cause the plant to develop even more flowers.

Just as an FYI on the bush...I have two of them- one in sun all day, and the other in shade late afternoon, which I had originally thought would be nice for ornamental reasons. I can tell you that the one in sun all day is much happier. The other acts like a dwarf plant. I plan to move the second one to full sun this year.

Now you've got me thinking. I'm going to order a butterfly house and add that to the garden!

Plant lady you are amazing. Thanks for your invaluable tips. I already feel a connection to you and am tempted to visit your garden (sounding silly right? ☺️). Do put up the butterfly house, I feel it will look splendid.

My plant gets more than 8 hours of sun so it should to just fine I guess. Luckily I'm not scared of any bee and love watching them hover from flower to flower. Will be waiting eagerly for the plant to come back to life.

thanks again and happy gardening :)