What is your Butterfly bush doing now....

My butterfly bush has not shown any sign of life yet this spring. I know we had a very hard winter and that normally they will die back to the ground, but mine never has since I bought it 5yrs ago. Is this the year it's died back completely?? Should I wait?? Usually it is late to leaf out, but it seems much later this year.
Becky

I am in Lima. Things are just coming through the ground here. Hardy hibiscus, Butterfly bush. Sure hope you didn't lose it!

i sure hope you didn't loose your bush. mine is blooming up a storm. i wish i cut it back a lot more this winter it has grown out of control lol.

I live in Greenville Ohio. Mine have grown about 1-2 feet already.

Mine are in full bloom and attracting butterflies.
I have the black knight and some other one that don't know the name.

It's starting to grow!!! I guess if your plants here you talking about them the get moving!!! I was outside yesterday telling a friend that I was thinking about cutting it down because it wasn't doing anything and that I already bought two more, lo and behold this afternoon I noticed one little shoot peeking up at me!! Patience...

Mine is beginning to leaf out, but no buds anywhere yet:

Mine did not die back but they are just now starting to branch out with new growth. A late wet spring must have delayed them. Looks like it will be mid summer before we see flowers this year.

Mine actually did not suffer as much winter damage as usual. As a result, I did not cut back as much. They are covered with buds. :) I'm impressed as we had some really awful weather!

this winter was so darn mean! Im starting to see growth on some of mine but not all-i sure hope the rest start growing soon!!
I will be in tears if they are dead!!! the yr b4 last they were growing leaves b4 i could cut them back so i left alot of them BIG! I have lost so much to a bitter cold winter and NO snow cover!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Mine did not die back either but I still cut them almost to the ground two month's ago. I now have a very healthy, full blooming shrub at least eight feet wide and tall!! Don't forget that most of the davidii cultivars bloom on new wood, so cutting back encourages more flowers. I dead head through the growing season too in order to prolong the show.

Lost 2 B. 'White Profusion'. The rest have been cut back, mid-March. Now about 3'-4' tall and on course.

I live in Bronson Iowa and my butterfly bush dies back to the ground and it is up nowto 4 feet-a nursey guy told me to mulch real heavy 3 feet around the whole bush in the fall because it is the cold winds that drive into the ground and kill the roots--so I tried it last fall and it is the first year I didnt lose mine--so give it a try

Lost 1, 2 are not doing very well, 4 beautiful. My purple just got color last week, and my 3 large white flowers are no where near opening. Very late this year.

Mine is Black Knight, about 4' across 4' tall, blooming like crazy. Had to go out and tie it up, it was into all my hardy hibiscus, etc. We have had lots of rain, it really took off!

My Black Knight has only got 3 blooms on it and the white and pink have not even started to bloom! I think that staying in pots all last year combined with a very late spring and summer has things all jabberwoked!

I hate to boast but I am going to. :-) I have no complaints - all three bushes are flowering their heads off and the variegated ones are so beautiful. The deep purple blooms go so well with the leaves. Zany, give them some time - they'll be fine next year!! Did you cut them back?? I find this a must, even though you have no die back in CA. I have to move one of mine - still!!

Actually I did cut the Black knight back and it came back with only one trunk! The others were so small I didn't cut them {only about 18 inches) And they are only about 48" now.

I figure they will be happier and do better next year :~)

B. 'White Profusion' has just come into bloom, and what a sight! Seems to be right on schedule for bloom. It is always a job to cut the spent flowers off, as the plant has so many blooms.