The Central European winter represents a challenge for the Asian butterfly bush. The claimed winter hardiness of up to -20 degrees Celsius only applies to a perfectly rooted and adult Buddleja davidii. You can find out how to successfully overwinter the flowering tree in beds and pots here.
How can I protect my butterfly lilac in winter?
To overwinter the butterfly lilac successfully, cover the root disc in the bed with leaves, straw or pine leaves and place potted plants protected against the south wall of the house. Pots should be covered with fleece or foil and the substrate covered with leaves or wood shavings.
Recommended winter protection in the bed and on the balcony
It takes several years for a butterfly bush to become hardy. Dwarf varieties in pots are at risk of frost damage even at an advanced age. We would therefore like to recommend that you take the following precautions:
- Cover the root disk in the bed with leaves, straw or pine fronds
- Place the bucket on a block of wood in front of the south wall of the house
- Equip the pot with a winter coat made of fleece (€12.00 on Amazon) or foil
- Spread a thick layer of leaves or wood shavings on the substrate
There is no cause for concern if the shoots freeze back in winter. Since a butterfly bush blooms on young wood, cut back all branches except for 2 or 3 eyes in spring.
