How much can you trim back a butterfly bush?

One side of my butterfly bush is kinda heavy and has one fairly large stem. Would it be ok to cut it back drastically? Will it help it shape itself better come spring when it grows again? Also have one small start that I can transplant...is now the right time or wait until spring?|||Prune in Spring or right after the last frost. You can cut way back and it will be fine. It will be more full when it starts to grow.|||One of my favorite plants. I cut it back by 2/3rd's - no problem. The reason for the lopsided growth is it's probably no getting enough sun on the one side therefore it stretchs and fills in on the sunny side. i had one do the same thing. It really needs 6 or more hours of sun for it's full glory.


I would wait until spring to move the small one.


Trimming the dead blooms off is really to neatin' it up. It also lets some energy go toward new blooms rather than making seeds.|||I cut mine down to a 12" stump last winter. It produced a bush about 6' high and wide, by flowering times. You could transplant almost anytime they're very difficult to kill.|||You can cut them back to about 18 inches without a problem.Wait until spring to move the other one.|||About 17-19 inchs along.