ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
‘ Miss Molly ’ butterfly stroke bush . Photo by : Proven Winners .
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To engraft or not to constitute has been the question fence butterfly stroke bush ( BuddleiaorBuddleja davidii ) for year . Its many blossoms , although irresistible to butterfly , can lead to aggressive re - seeding . Thankfully , breeder have been capable to develop sterile or nearly - sterile cultivars , often referred to as summer lilac , and those are the ones we will focus on here .
BUTTERFLY BUSH BASICS
Zones:
Most varieties zones 5 - 9 , some to zone 10
Height/Spread:
Varies by cultivar ; dwarf butterfly stroke bush can be as small as 18 ” grandiloquent and broad , while others can extend to 7 ’ tall by 5 ’ wide .
Exposure:
Full sun
Bloom Time:
mostly , summer until first rime ; some varieties start earlier in summer and some later .
Flower Color:
vary shades of pinkish , purple , naughty , orangish , and white .
Other:
Attracts butterfly , bees and hummingbird .
Is butterfly bush poisonous?
Butterfly bush is not known to be toxic to humanity or beast , but not to be confused with butterfly weed which is toxic to both .
Is butterfly bush deer resistant?
Butterfly bush is a pure choice for fending off cervid in your garden , as it is not on their preferred menu .
PLANTING BUTTERFLY BUSHES
When to plant:
Butterfly bush is best planted in the leaping or fall . If planting in autumn , verify to get them in the ground well before first frost so as to evolve a good theme organization before stale temperature localize in .
Where to plant:
flora in an area with well - debilitate soil and full sun photograph . Plants will lean to get thin and have decreased flowering if they do n’t get enough sunlight . The flower colouration may also be lighter if planted in shade .
How to plant:
Dig a hole twice as wide as the container and flux the hem in soil with compost . The rootball should be flat with the surrounding surface . pee thoroughly after planting and on a regular basis through the first develop season . raw transplants may take up to six weeks to finalise in and get their roots base .
Additional plants to support the life cycle of butterflies:
While the honey - scented blooms of the butterfly bush provide nectar for butterfly , it is not a suitable boniface or intellectual nourishment plant for butterfly stroke caterpillars .
According toButterfly Gardener , a publication of the North American Butterfly Association , vulgar food for thought sources for cat let in trees , shrubs and herbaceous perennials such as :
nutrient plants such as these should be include in butterfly stroke garden to back up the entire life-time cycle of your local butterfly stroke universe .
For more plants to include , see25 Butterfly Garden Plants .
BUTTERFLY BUSH CARE
Soil:
Grow in average , well - drain soil ; does badly in sozzled condition . For good bloom color , filth should be more or less acidulent to inert with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 .
Amendments & Fertilizer:
utilise a check - release fertilizer or tenuous layer of compost in the spring . Over - fertilizing can elevate an addition in leafage outgrowth at the expense of flower yield . In cold-blooded climates , a safe bed of mulch in winter can help oneself protect the roots .
Watering:
Regular tearing during the first growing season is essential to establish a honest antecedent organisation . Once established , industrial plant require only occasional tearing and are drought tolerant , although unconstipated lacrimation may be postulate in extreme hotness .
Diseases and Pests:
There are no serious disease or pest problems that affect these varieties of butterfly stroke bush . ward off the use of pesticide so that you do n’t harm the many pollinators that chitchat them .
PRUNING BUTTERFLY BUSH
When to prune butterfly bush:
In mild climate , prune tumid salmagundi in late pin or other spring to clean up and preserve conformation . In cold climates , plow as perennials , cutting back closely to the earth in late winter or early spring .
BUTTERFLY BUSH PICTURES
Photo by : Proven Winners .
Lo & Behold ® ‘ Blue Chip Jr’—Buy now from Proven Winners .
Zones:5 - 9
Exposure : Full sun
Height / Spread:18 to 30 inches tall & wide
Bloom Time : Summer through fall
colour : blueish - purple flowers , green foliage
This compact butterfly stroke bush has a fast ontogeny , slimly spreading habit .
Lo & Behold ® ‘ Pink Micro Chip’—Buy now from Proven Winners
Height / Spread:18 to 24 inch magniloquent and wide
Bloom Time : Mid - summer through mid - declivity
Color : Pink flowers , argent - gullible foliage
This selection is more compact and respectable than others and blooms sooner in the time of year .
Lo & Behold ® ‘ Purple Haze’—Buy now from Proven success
Height / Spread:24 to 36 inches tall and wide
Bloom Time : Mid - summertime through fall
Color : Purple - blue flowers , silvery - immature foliage
Although a minute larger , this butterfly bush is still good for groundcover and has heyday that arch toward the earth .
' Miss Pearl'—Buy now from Proven succeeder
Height / Spread:5 understructure tall and wide
Color : White flowers , fleeceable foliation
‘ Miss Pearl ’ is gross for a cottage garden , heyday cool lily-white , honey - scented flowers for month .
‘ Miss Molly’—Buy now from Proven victor
Height / Spread:4 to 5 foot tall & wide
Bloom Time : Mid - summer to late fall
Color : Red - pinkish flowers , dark-green foliage
This vibrant mid - sized selection thrives in blistering climates . Also adjudicate ' Miss Violet ' and ' Miss Pearl ' .
‘ Miss Ruby’—Buy now from Proven achiever
coloring : Magenta flowers , green foliage
The almost - red colour of this butterfly bush is quite attractive to hummingbirds .
Photo by : judywhite / GardenPhotos.com .
‘ Asian Moon ’
Height / Spread:3 to 7 foot grandiloquent , 3 to 5 feet all-embracing
Bloom Time : Summer to early fall
people of color : regal bloom , orangeness throats
deal the unspoiled second-stringer for the popular , but aggressive , ‘ Black Knight ’ butterfly stroke bush .
Photo by : Ball Horticultural Company .
Buddleia Flutterby Petite Tutti Fruitti Pink
Zones:5 - 10
Height / Spread:2 to 3 invertebrate foot tall and wide
Bloom Time : Early summer through frost
Color : Fuchsia - pinko
This butterfly bush ’s concordat , mounding habit pee it good for the front of a edge or a container .
DESIGNING WITH BUTTERFLY BUSH
Here are some great ways to practice butterfly stroke bush in your garden :
See more musical theme oncreating a butterfly garden .
Alternatives and companions:
If you are still wary of plant even the infertile species in your garden , or would like a variety of nectar plants , some common alternatives or additions include :
INVASIVE ISSUES
Where is butterfly bush considered invasive?
Butterfly bush has been declare encroaching in many regions including much of the Pacific Northwest , part of coastal California and along the eastern seaboard . There are regions where the threat of invasive spreading is lower due to climate or availability , but some gardener still choose to steer cleared . See more , atInvasivePlantAtlas.org .
What can I do?
If you live in one of the encroaching domain and already mature butterfly bush , your good course of action is to dig up your plant and replace it with one of the sterile types shown above . However , there is still a theory that the sterile varieties ( which are only about 98 % sterile ) can cross pollinate with an invasive non - infertile miscellanea grow nearby .
Can the spread of butterfly bush be controlled?
If you live in an area whereBuddleia davidiiisn’t a problem , it may just be a matter of time before it becomes an invasive plant there too . However , if you deadhead butterfly bush meticulously before it goes to seed you may be capable to stop the spread .
Are there any native butterfly bushes?
butterfly bush davidiiorginates from China , but you could try these native plants as options :
Last update : June 19 , 2020
