damaged Butterfly bush

by Jean
(west sunbury Pa.)

what do i do for my butterfly bush which is split down the middle of the main stem, from our heavy snow fall? This plant is 7 years old and 6ft.tall I don't want to loose it.

Doug says cut it to the ground. It will regrow quite nicely and turn back into a shrub this summer (and yes, it will bloom this year although perhaps a bit later than normal) It may come up later than most of your perennials as it adjusts to throwing new shoots - don't worry. Just have a lot of patience. I used to grow them as perennials rather than shrubs and this is the way I did it (cut 'em back to the ground every year).