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How to take care of butterfly bushes


Butterfly Bush - The Ultimate Care Guide

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BUTTERFLY BUSH CARE

Butterfly bush are easy to grow, but you do need to know a bit about their preferences and requirements to achieve maximum success.

  1. Butterfly bush need full sun. When we say full sun, we mean it – butterfly bush require a minimum of 8 hours of bright sunlight. Even in warm climates, plant them where they get no fewer than 6 hours of sun.
  2. Butterfly bush need perfect drainage. Their roots are sensitive to rotting, and if they spend any amount of time in wet soil, they can be set back or even die. Most of the time, if you lose a butterfly bush after winter, it wasn’t due to low temperatures or snow or ice – it was because the plant sat in cold, wet soil in fall or spring.
  3. Butterfly bush can grow in clay soil, but require a few special accommodations. Because they need good drainage and dislike cold wet conditions, there are a few tips that will increase your success with butterfly bush if you have clay soil:
    • Never amend the soil. Don’t add top soil, potting soil, compost or anything at planting time. Plant directly into your natural soil. This is true for all shrubs, but is even more important with butterfly bush, as amending any soil, and particularly clay soil, can cause drainage problems.
    • Plant “high” – instead of positioning the plant even with the ground level like you would other plants, dig a slightly shallower hole (yep, that means less work!) and position it so that the base of the plant is a bit higher than the ground. This creates a small “hill” that encourages water to drain away from the plant rather than settle around it.
    • Avoid mulching directly around your butterfly bush. Mulch is a great idea for other species of plants, but in clay soil, it can hold too much moisture. Go ahead and mulch your beds, but give your butterfly bush a bit of clearance, and never mulch all the way up to the main stems.
  4. Prune in spring, after the new growth emerges. Many people cut their butterfly bush back in autumn, as part of their fall clean up. But particularly in cold climates, this can leave your butterfly bush more susceptible to damage over winter. Do not prune until you see green buds on the stems. Make your cuts just above where big, healthy leaf buds have formed. It can take several weeks into spring for new growth to show up - be patient and resist the urge to cut them back too early.
  5. But do prune your butterfly bush. Left unpruned, large butterfly bushes can become “second story” plants: their flowers form way up at the top so you can’t enjoy them unless you have a second story window. The warmer your climate, the more you should cut back your butterfly bush each spring. Even dwarf varieties like our Lo & Behold® series still need pruning – you’ll just be cutting back less than you would on a variety that reaches 8’ tall.
  6. Be patient. Butterfly bushes tend to be one of the later plants to leaf out in spring. Even if everything else in your landscape is turning green, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost your butterfly bush. Many people recommend waiting til as late as Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June) to be certain their butterfly bush perished. It can be very surprising to see how quickly a butterfly bush can recover, even if it takes that long to come back! Learn more about this phenomenon in our article, Plants that Push the Snooze Button on Spring.
  7. Don’t overwater. Particularly if you have clay soil, watch watering carefully. If you have an irrigation system, be sure it’s not inundating your butterfly bush. Signs of overwatering include weak stems, fewer flowers, and dieback.
  8. Avoid fall planting. Because butterfly bush may get a bit of winter damage in cold climates, it’s best to give them as long a time as possible to get established before they face the challenges of the cold, wet season. In USDA zones 5 and 6 especially, keep butterfly bush planting time to spring through mid-summer so the plants have ample opportunity to develop a good root system to sustain them through winter.

BUTTERFLY BUSH VARIETIES

You’ll find a range of colors, sizes, and habits among our butterfly bushes:

Lo & Behold® series: small and mounded. Perfect for flower gardens. Lo & Behold® ‘Purple Haze’ is the largest of this series; Lo & Behold® ‘Pink Micro Chip’ is the smallest. Lo & Behold® ‘Blue Chip Jr.’ is the earliest to bloom of the series.
“Miss” series: medium height (4-5’/1.2-1.5m tall), refined, elegant habit, intense colors. The flowers of ‘Miss Molly’ are as close to red as you’ll find in a butterfly bush. ‘Miss Pearl’ offers pure white blooms that look especially magical at night.
Pugster® series: short and stocky, with full-sized flowers in saturated colors. The thick stems of our newest series makes these an excellent choice for areas where butterfly bush experience a lot of winter dieback. Pugster Blue® is especially exciting, with its true-blue blooms.

BUDDLEIA FAQ

Is butterfly bush invasive?

Butterfly bush has become invasive in some areas, and is on invasive plant watchlists or even banned in some states. This is why we work with renown plant breeder Dr. Dennis Werner of North Carolina State University to introduce seedless and non-invasive varieties, like the Lo & Behold® series and the “Miss” varieties. These plants have been approved for sale in Oregon, where others are banned. However, in these states, they are sold under the name “summer lilac” instead of “butterfly bush” to clarify that they have been approved by their respective departments of agriculture.

Are they the same thing as butterfly weed?

No. When most people say “butterfly weed,” they are referring to one of several species of milkweed (Asclepias sp.), an herbaceous plant. Butterfly bush (Buddleia sp.) is a woody plant (shrub).

Are butterfly bushes bad for butterflies?

Butterfly bush attracts butterflies because its flowers are high in nectar. However, this nectar only sustains the butterflies themselves – it does not provide crucial food sources for caterpillars (which are the larval or “baby” stage of a butterfly’s life cycle). If you want to create a truly butterfly-friendly garden, don’t just plant a butterfly bush - plant a wide variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals that bloom at different times to provide an ongoing, diverse buffet for the babies and adults alike. Be sure to include plenty of plants that are native to your area – contact your local cooperative extension office for specific recommendations.

How big do butterfly bushes get?

These large shrubs range from 5 to 8 feet tall and just as wide once they reach maturity. If you're looking for a smaller butterfly bush size, try a dwarf variety, which are in the 2 to 3-foot range. Yearly pruning will help keep the size of your butterfly bush manageable. 

Should you deadhead butterfly bushes?

All of our butterfly bush will bloom all summer long without deadheading (the process of removing seed heads). To eliminate the possibility of butterfly bush spreading, you can cut off and dispose of the seedheads left on the plant in autumn - as long as you aren’t doing any major pruning into the plant, it’s perfectly fine to do this.

Can the blooms be cut to use in flower arrangements?

Yes, but unfortunately, they don’t hold up very well in a vase. If you want to try, cut them early in the morning and place the stems in water immediately after cutting.

Can you grow butterfly bush in pots?

Yes! Butterfly bush will thrive in containers. Be sure to select a container that has several large drainage holes, and fill the container only with a fast-draining, light-weight potting mix. The container you select should be made out of a weather-proof material that can be left outdoors year-round.

Learn more in our Shrubs in Containers article

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Butterfly Bush Care - How To Care For A Butterfly Bush

Home › Ornamental Gardens › Shrubs › Butterfly Bush

Butterfly Bush

By: Jackie Carroll

Image by relish5

Butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) are grown for their long panicles of colorful flowers and their ability to attract butterflies and beneficial insects. They bloom in spring and summer, but the naturally attractive shape of the shrub and evergreen foliage keep the bush interesting, even when it is not in bloom.

These tough plants tolerate a variety of conditions and are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones  5 through 9. Find out more about butterfly bush planting and care.

Butterfly Bush Planting

Planting a butterfly bush in an optimum location minimizes the time you’ll spend on maintenance. Choose a sunny or partly shaded area where the soil is well-drained. Soil that is constantly wet encourages rot. When planted in good quality garden soil, a butterfly bush rarely needs fertilizer.

Give your butterfly bush plenty of room. The plant tag will tell you the mature size of the cultivar you have chosen. Although butterfly bushes tolerate severe pruning to maintain a smaller size, you can reduce the time you’ll spend pruning by planting it in a location with plenty of room for the plant to develop its natural size and shape. Butterfly bushes grow from 6 to 12 feet (2-4 m.) tall with a spread of 4 to 15 feet (1-4.5 m.).

NOTE: Butterfly bush is considered an invasive plant in many regions. Check with your local extension office prior to planting to ensure that the plant is permitted in your area.

How to Care for a Butterfly Bush

Butterfly bush care is easy. Water the shrub slowly and deeply during prolonged dry spells so that the soil absorbs the water deep into the root zone.

The plants don’t need fertilization unless grown in poor soil. Fertilize with a 2 inch (5 cm.) layer of compost over the root zone or scratch in some general-purpose fertilizer if you need to enrich the soil. Cover the root zone with a 2 to 4 inch (5-10 cm.) layer of mulch. This is particularly important in cold climates where the roots need winter protection.

The most labor-intensive part of caring for butterfly bushes is deadheading. In spring and summer, remove the spent flower clusters promptly. Seed pods develop when the flower clusters are left on the plant. When the pods mature and release their seeds, weedy young plants emerge. The seedlings should be removed as soon as possible.

Young shrubs that are cut off at ground level may re-emerge, so remove the roots along with the top growth. Don’t be tempted to transplant the seedlings into other parts of the garden. Butterfly bushes are usually hybrids, and the offspring probably won’t be as attractive as the parent plant.

Problems with Butterfly Bushes

Problems with butterfly bushes include root rot and the occasional caterpillar. Planting the shrub in well-drained soil usually eliminates the chances of root rot. The symptoms are yellowing leaves, and in severe cases, twig or stem dieback.

Any time you grow a plant that attracts butterflies, you can expect caterpillars. In most cases the damage is minimal and you will have to stand close to the shrub to notice it. It’s best to leave the caterpillars alone unless their feeding activity does substantial damage to the shrub.

Japanese beetles sometimes feed on butterfly bushes. Using insecticides to control Japanese beetles is usually ineffective, and more likely to destroy the abundance of beneficial insects attracted to the shrub than the beetles. Use traps and handpick the insects, and treat the lawn for grubs, which are the larval form of Japanese beetles.

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Cultivation and Care of the Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)

Today we are going to talk about a well-known garden ornamental shrub originating from Japan and China. This is a butterfly bush. Its scientific name is Davidia's buddleia and is known by other common names such as budelia, buddleia, butterfly flower, and summer lilo. It is widely used in all gardens of the world because of its high resistance.

In this post you can find out all the characteristics and care of Buddley David.

Index

Características principales

This shrub in good condition can grow up to two meters in height. It has deciduous or semi-deciduous leaves depending on the climate in which it occurs. They are usually quite resistant to frost and other more adverse environmental conditions.

Has arched and hanging branches. The leaves are oblong and green in color, ending in a point. There are varieties of leaves from green to gray. This is what makes him look stormy. Winter temperatures generally affect leaf life. If the temperature is usually lower, you will lose more leaves before they run out. Being branched, it will have a lot of density and will be an ideal shrub for hiding some things that you do not want to see, or for providing more privacy to your garden.

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Its flowers form beautiful clusters of lilac or pink, which enhances its decorative effect. They also have a pleasant aroma that further characterizes the area where you grow them. One of the common names is summer lilac, as its blooming in summer brings a very pleasant sensation mixed with a unique aroma.

Another reason why it is called the butterfly bush is that this fragrance we are talking about is able to attract many butterflies of all kinds. You can have a large number of insect pollinators this will help the rest of the plants in your garden reproduce better.

It can grow so fast that it is considered an invasive plant in many countries. You have to be careful with some native plants because they can crowd them out.

Requirements

Buddley Davidia

This shrub can bring many benefits to the garden, such as attracting pollinating insects, a pleasant aroma and a very beautiful color. However, it needs some requirements to thrive. One of them - they need a spacious place. As we mentioned earlier, this is a fairly branched shrub and therefore, with sufficient growth and favorable environmental conditions, it can grow to over 3 meters in height.

Such branching will take up a lot of space in the garden. If we want to use all the advantages of this bush, we must have enough space so that the branches are not obstructed or restricted in their growth and development.

Flowering time - summer. It needs higher temperatures to flower well, as it is weaker in winter and eventually loses almost all of its leaves. The most suitable climate for unproblematic prosperity is the Mediterranean Sea. This is because it mostly has hotter, drier summers and mild, wet winters. If temperatures are lower in winter, they will suffer greatly. Usually they are resistant to several frosts, but if they are too frequent, they will suffer.

They are resistant to coastal areas where the air carries more salt particles.

Maintenance required

This shrub is really easy to care for and is used to create groups in the garden or as individual specimens. If grouped together, they can attract more pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.

To keep your needs on the surface, requires full sun exposure. It can also grow well in partial shade, but is best for winter. In partial shade, there are usually lower temperatures, and this affects the development of the leaves and their increase in the autumn of the same. If the winter is quite cold or there are unexpected frosts, it can be protected with plastic.

As for the ground, can thrive in calcareous soils as long as they contain an acceptable amount of organic matter. If at the beginning of growth you planted it in a not very optimal site, if you want to transplant it again to the final place, this will have to be done in the spring.

Watering will need to be plentiful and more frequent during the warmer months. spring and summer. The rest of the year will be significantly reduced. The only important indicator to keep in mind in winter is that the soil does not dry out completely. Only after that you need to water. The most normal thing is that with winter rains there are more than enough of them.

Maintenance and reproduction

In order to maintain ideal conditions throughout the year, it is most convenient to pay once a year . You should use organic fertilizers as much as possible. manure or compost and you can add it when it's time to use annual fertilizer for the entire garden. So we won't over complicate this part.

With regard to maintenance tasks, it is advisable to cut them intensively with the onset of autumn. As soon as the flowers start to fall off and disappear, it is necessary to prune them enough so that in winter they can be strengthened until they bloom much stronger next year.

If you don't control the humidity well and it exceeds the recommended one, it can be attacked by aphids and other viral diseases.

To multiply them, it is most expedient to use cuttings. This should be done in autumn or spring and placed in a chest of drawers with glass so that they are well rooted. This is best done in the spring as the temperatures are higher and they do not have to withstand the winter cold. It is physiologically easier for them to live in the warm season.

I hope that with these tips you will enjoy Buddley Davidia in your garden.


Butterfly garden. A photo. How to attract butterflies to your garden, making it truly magical?

Fans of watching the beautiful dances of butterflies in the air often want to attract as many of these beautiful creatures as possible to their garden, sometimes turning it into a real "butterfly garden". To achieve this, you need to know which types of plants attract butterflies and follow a few simple planting guidelines to create the perfect butterfly sanctuary for your garden. It is also important to know the characteristics of these beautiful insects. How to attract butterflies to the garden?

Photo: Plants with umbellate inflorescences are good for the "butterfly garden". Checkered and Ribbed Butterflies »»

Location

To create a butterfly corner in your garden, choose a calm location that receives six or more hours of direct sunlight

daily. Most garden plants favored by butterflies need bright sunlight, and insects themselves are sun lovers. It is better if the shadow in the "butterfly garden" is only in the afternoon.

To attract butterflies to your garden, try to group plants that are attractive to them in different parts of the garden. This will provide a variety of places for the butterflies to eat. Whether you are creating a new garden or looking for suitable corners in an existing one, choose a spot that has good visibility from a porch, patio, or window. So you can enjoy the bright colors and habits of the butterflies visiting you.

In these photos, the Admiral butterfly on a blooming buddley »»

Group flowering plants together in three or more varieties to create a variety of flower beds. A group of bright flowers of a similar color will be noticed by butterflies faster than a variegated or pale one. If arranging a flower garden along a fixed object, such as a wall, be sure to place tall and short plants so that they do not overlap each other and are attractive to butterflies: tall ones near the wall, low ones in the foreground, medium ones in the middle. Some butterflies are attracted by forest and meadow flowers, for such species flower beds in the style of a wild meadow, which are currently relevant, will be optimal.

Plants that provide butterflies' favorite nectar

The nectar and pollen of flowering plants provide butterflies with food. Sometimes butterflies are selective in their choice, therefore, in order to attract butterflies to the garden, it is necessary to plant a wide variety of flowers of different flowering periods so that the delicacy in the form of nectar and pollen in the "butterfly garden" is from spring to autumn.

When choosing plants for your butterfly garden, give preference to honey plants. and fragrant cultures, as well as with brightly colored petals and simple flowers or umbrella inflorescences: located on a flat surface It is easier for butterflies to get their own nectar and pollen.

Fine suitable for the "butterfly garden" perennials echinacea, valerian officinalis, Matron's Vespers , oregano , lavender, purple vine, liatris, penstemon, sage. Among annual flowers that attract butterflies, especially marigolds , zinnias, lantana and verbena , scabiosa, various spurges and violets.

source nectar can also be flowering shrubs, trees, for example, spirea , hawthorn, buddleya, bird cherry. Butterflies feed on the sap of trees, so the presence of trees in a large garden "butterfly garden" is mandatory, especially that the caterpillars of some of them live there, and the crown will become a protection for butterflies in bad weather.

In these photos beautiful butterfly Peacock eye. This time she is the object of her meal I chose an annual aster with a simple flat flower and bright marigolds.

. This plant is a prime candidate for a "butterfly garden". On the right photo, Ugolnitsa came to visit the buddley. On the left photo - Urticaria, treating itself to buddleya nectar.

How to attract butterflies to the garden and keep them there for a long time

Everyone knows that butterflies come from caterpillars. To keep butterflies in your garden for a long time, set up a butterfly garden in the vicinity of plants, where they can lay their eggs, and the caterpillars that come out later would feed on them. Let sometimes these plants be not too attractive, because the caterpillars partially eat the leaves! This minor inconvenience is more than made up for by the usefulness of butterflies, which will pollinate many plants in your area. Nettles, hops, violets, dill, carrots, alfalfa, clover, mallow, cabbage and other cultivated and wild plants are among the favorite plants of caterpillars.

Do not use chemicals in the garden to control plant diseases and pests. This reduces the number of butterflies. But the arrangement of a warm winter home for wintering butterflies will keep them on the site until next year. Any box that is insulated inside is suitable for this. Some of the butterflies will overwinter well in the attic or basement.

Butterfly Garden Arrangement

Individual elements provided in the butterfly garden can add pleasant moments to their lives. A puddle or shallow pool of rocks will provide water for the butterflies, and a few extra large rocks in the middle of the garden will provide a place for the butterflies to perch to rest and bask. By the way, there you can take pictures of them if you are creating a collection of amazing shots from the life of the garden. Birdbaths can also serve as a good addition to the "butterfly garden".

Some butterflies require sodium, which is better absorbed when wet. They will gladly replenish it, settling down near a small reservoir, made of wet clay and sand.

To give the butterflies more pleasure, place pieces of overripe or rotten fruit in a separate dish or any container. Their sweet juice is loved by butterflies and is very nutritious. Autumn butterflies will be able to feast on them directly from the fruits that have ripened on the tree.

On these photo butterfly of the genus Belyanka. Moorish lawn or wild-style flower garden meadows planted with bluebells and fluttering white-winged butterflies will help you feel like you are in a blooming forest clearing, without even going outside the limits of your area.


Butterflies will fit into the natural style of the garden Checkers - clover and mouse peas are loved by them (photo).

Butterflies of central Russia

Butterflies that are common in Russia can become inhabitants of the “butterfly garden” in central Russia. The most beautiful of them Vanessa butterflies :
- Admiral . This butterfly can be observed from June to September. Her caterpillar feeds on nettles, hops, and thistles.
- Peacock eye . Wingspan up to 6 cm, you can admire it from July to autumn. Black butterfly caterpillars live on nettles, raspberries, and hops.
- Vanessa L - white . It occurs from July to late autumn, similar to urticaria. Its white caterpillar winters on aspens and willows.
- Urticaria - occurs from April to late autumn. The butterfly hibernates in attics, in basements, distinguishes red color, which attracts it. Dark caterpillars feed on nettles, sometimes hops.
- Polyflora - will decorate the butterfly garden from April to autumn. Its two-tone light-dark caterpillar winters in communities on willows and fruit trees.
- Greater urticaria - similar to polyflora, but more brown in color with a white spot on the front wing at the top. It can be observed from July to late autumn. The dark blue caterpillar winters in groups on willows.

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- Spring motley wing . Its time is June - July. Summer motley wing appears in July, in September it is no longer found. The bright blue caterpillar of this butterfly lives in summer on nettles.

Butterflies of the genus Belyanka are among the first to delight our eyes after winter. This is the most numerous genus of butterflies in central Russia. Caterpillars of many of them can damage cabbage plants, and hawthorn - fruit.
- 9 appear first in April0151 turnip and swede , they are in the garden until late autumn. Because of the characteristics of their caterpillars, living on turnips and rutabaga got its name.
- Cabbage appears in June and disappears in late autumn, prefers flowers of red and similar colors. Its caterpillar feeds on cabbage plants.
- In July, lemongrass (jaundice) appears, it can be observed until late autumn. Since its caterpillars love buckthorn, another name for the genus Buckthorn.

Different species of the genus Checkers are already visible in April, they are not found in August. These butterflies like plantain and cornflowers.

Mother-of-pearl fly in June-July, Field mother-of-pearl - from May to October, their caterpillars live on violets.

Unfortunately, some species of butterflies in Central Russia are endangered and are listed in the Red Book, among them are the most beautiful - swallowtails, monarchs, red admiral, it is rare to find a mourning woman. By creating a "butterfly garden" we will help save them on planet

Of course, the work on creating a butterfly garden will take some time, but watching extraordinary creatures circling in the air or perched on a flower is worth it. What could be more beautiful than the duet "butterflies and flowers"!
In the photo: a rare visitor to the gardens is a beautiful butterfly Swallowtail, which flew to the pollen and nectar of cosmea. The simple structure of the flower is very convenient for planting a butterfly. In sunny, dry weather, there is especially a lot of pollen on the opened bud. So a modest flower with the help of an exquisite butterfly shows a luxurious picture, the author of which is Her Majesty Nature.

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