How to Prune a False Olive Tree

False olive (Buddleja saligna) is the more wild cousin of the butterfly bush. Like other butterfly bush varieties, false olive flowers attract butterflies and bees to the garden. The small flowers grow clustered along spikes above the foliage, emitting a mangolike fragrance from the white blossoms. False olive requires minimal pruning to maintain a balanced natural shape. Care and pruning is much the same for the false olive as it is for the more common butterfly bush varieties.

Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Cut out dead wood in spring as the bush begins putting on new leaves. Remove the dead branches where they join healthy main branches, using pruning shears. Avoid cutting into the woody center of the plant unless you are removing the entire branch.
- 2
  Prune heavily after the first flowering flush begins to fade. Cut off the old flower spikes and trim back any overgrown branches to the desired height. Make the pruning cuts within 1/4 inch of a leaf bud and remove no more than one-third of the branch's length.
- 3
  Trim again after the second flowering period ends. Remove only the old flower spikes and dead or damaged branches. Heavy pruning later in the summer or fall can result in new growth that won't be strong enough to survive winter. Continue to prune out old flower spikes after each flowering flush until the plant goes semidormant in late fall.

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