How far back should I prune my butterfly bush for winter?

Question

Some people say leave it as it is, others say cut it back to 6-8 inches? Does the same apply for clematis? What about peonies?? Thanks!

It's a Jackmani clematis...Thanks ya'll!

Answer 1

Buddeleia (butterfly bush) can be cut back hard in late winter or early spring, in some zones it will die back considerably anyway. Here is a link that you might find helpful.

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/qanda.asp?code=1890

Herbaceous peonies should have all their old foliage removed clear to the ground. Do not cut back tree peonies. Ever.
Clematis vary, depending on the variety. Some need no pruning, some moderate, some hard. If you know the variety, you can google it to find out, if not, the best rule of thumb is to wait for spring and cut back the dead parts. Some clematis bloom on wood from the previous year's growth and some bloom on this years growth, so it is a good idea to find out the variety. Ok I see, Jackmanni will take hard pruning.
The reason we remove all peony leaves in the fall is because dead leaves can carry disease over the winter and affect your plants in the spring, specifically botrytis blight, which can cause your peony bud to blacken and die.

Answer 2

Peonies you can cut back now...to 6 inches or so. The rest I would wait until spring and then prune. Your butterfly bush should be pruned back when you see new growth in the spring. Cut it back about 1/3 of the length of the branches.

My clematis sprouts on old growth, so I would check on the variety you have with a local garden center and get their advice.

Answer 3

I have a huge one that I just cut back to about three feet. It's really up to you, if you want to, you can cut it way down like you said, or you can cut it back to the main trunks (that's what I do), or you can just trim it back to shape it.

Trim the peonies to the ground, they just grow new stems from the rhizomes each year. The clematis just need to be trimmed to control it. Use your discretion on those.

Answer 4

butterfly bush
tidy stragley branches in spring prune back to buds as you see them
most peonies die back in winter leave dead growth on .but flatten down for extra protection for new growth in spring tidy up when growth starts.
clematis
without knowing which you have i can not help
some flower on new growth some on old.
if you cut one back that flowers on old growth you will not get flowers.
if you know variety name add it to your Q will look back later

Answer 5

Buddaleia you can cut all the way back and cover with mulch and you will still get some nice growth

Answer 6

USUALLY NO MORE THAN THIS YEARS GROWTH.