Our butterfly bush looks weak, spindly with some of the leaves looking withered. Any ideas as to why?

Answer 1

Where do you live? In winter these bushes drop some of their leaves. If it is very cold, the bush starts to look very unhealthy but rest assured it will come back in the spring. Give it a really good prune (chop 2/3 off) and before you know it, in spring, it will be back to looking fantastic and covered in flowers. These bushes require yearly pruning to stop them looking spindly and going weak. The flowers are born on new wood, so once you prune it back, you will be rewarded with lots of flowers soon after. Our beautiful bush grows to 3m each year, after a prune to only waist high. The more you prune, the thicker and healthier the bush becomes.
If it is warm weather where you live, still give it a really good prune and lots of water. Don't apply very much fertiliser.. a couple of handfuls of Dynamic Lifter or a 1/2 bucket of sheep manure once in spring is sufficient. Also check that it doesn't have too many caterpillars on it.. as the name suggests, the butterflies love it and so do their larvae. Generally this is not an issue at all, as long as it isn't the only flowering bush in the vacinity...

Answer 2

Are they getting enough sun? Maybe they are too shaded & need more sun. "Full sun/filtered shade" is recommended. http://melanys.tripod.com/Buddleia.htm

Do they have good drainage? Their roots could be rotting if too wet. They need "Moderately rich fertility, and well-drained soil (fairly dry conditions once established)." Roots may perish in wet soil. If that continues the plant will die.
If this is the case, dig it up & put it in a sunny spot in a well-drained planting hole enriched with compost.

It may be aphids or some insect sucking the life out of your plants ! Squirt your plant with a 1 Tablsp Ivory soap to 1 gallon water solution & see if this helps. If they are being eaten by Japanese Beetles, just flick the beetles into oily or soapy water & they'll drown.
When my Astilbes were wilting, this did the trick!
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 3

When you describe it as spindly it makes me think the bush isn't getting enough sun. Is it planted where it gets several hours of direct sunlight every day?

If not, dig it up and put it in a brighter spot.

Answer 4

I had the same problem you did and I recently did a few things that kind of brought mine around.

First, I finally mulched around it. Then I added a trench around the edge partly to hold in the mulch like they do for trees but also I think it kind of helps to hold in the water. Then I watered it once or twice with Miracle Grow for flowers. Most of the time I water it with just regular water, but every so often now I water it with Miracle Grow for flowers and it has started coming around. The leaves are turning greener and its starting to flower. You don't want to over-water them I think. Watering once to twice a week will doo if it is mulched around. And once every 3-4 waterings give it some of the Miracle Grow.

Once it starts flowering, make sure to treat it with a spray for Japanese Beetles. Japanese Beetles seem to love to eat the flowers.

Answer 5

i see you got alot of good anwers already, but when all else fails take lots of cuttings, they root so easily....8" to 12" tips of the branches and stick them 1/3 to 1/2 in pots of good potting soil.. most will root if you keep them watered, lots of water, fertilzer, and brutal pruning in the early spring...don't let them get woody.....

Answer 6

It might need more water, when mine did this I'd water it, and VOILA.