Are my butterfly bushes dead?
I have 3 older bushes which have not leafed out yet
Answer
After the very harsh winter of 2013-14, butterfly bushes (buddleia) have been very slow to leaf out this spring. But be patient, as growth is just now beginning to show on buddleias in the area.
To keep your buddleia shrubs from growing unruly, prune back to just above the lowest outward-facing shoot on each stem. The remaining shoots will grow and give you a shapely plant.