Gardeners and butterflies alike will fall in love with this fragrant and colorful plant.
These woody shrubs, sometimes called summer lilacs, have arching stems and long flower panicles.
Dwarf types that reach two to three feet tall are great for small spaces and containers.
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While some areas consider butterfly bushes invasive, non-invasive varieties are available.
Learn how to care for these easy-to-grow beauties.
While butterflies visit them to sip nectar, they’re not a food source for caterpillars.
Also,butterfly bushes are considered invasivein some parts of the country.
Six hours will suffice, although you may not get as many flowers.
Full sun produces strong stems, so tall plants won’t need staking.
Soil
Choose a planting site with well-drained, moist soil with average fertility.
Since these plants take a pH of 6.0 to 8.0, native soils are usually fine.
Otherwise, amendments aren’t usually necessary.
Backfill the hole and gently firm down the soil to remove any air pockets.
Don’t let the mulch touch the stems, which can cause rot.
Water
Butterfly bushes can tolerate some drought once they’re established but need consistently moist soil.
When you water, water deeply, but avoid overwatering.
Fertilize
These plants seldom need fertilizing if they’re growing in soil mixed with organic compost.
An island bed planted with a butterfly bush (or several) will help attract these lovely pollinators.
Other places to use them include perennial beds and borders and cottage or wildlife gardens.
Some have rangy, sprawling growth habits, so they don’t make great specimen plants or focal points.
Butterfly Bushes in Containers
Like butterfly bushes in the ground, container-grownBuddleianeeds moist, well-drained soil.
Use a good-quality potting mix and a container with drainage holes.
Deadhead faded flowers as needed.
Propagating Butterfly Bushes
Invasive varieties of butterfly bush spread easily without propagation.
Seedless varieties of butterfly bush cannot be propagated by seed.
Rhizoctoniaandphytophthoraare fungal diseases that make leaves turn yellow and drop and lead to rotting stems and roots.
To prevent them, don’t overwater or let the soil stay waterlogged.
There are fungicides labeled to control these fungi, but even treated plants can still die.
