14 Butterfly Bush How to Plant, Grow, and Care Buddleia 2022

14 Butterfly Bush How to Plant, Grow, and Care Buddleia 2022

Buddleja davidii, also called summer lilac, butterfly-bush, or orange eye, is a species of flowering plant in the family Scrophulariaceae, native to Sichuan and Hubei provinces in central China, and also Japan. It is widely used as an ornamental plant, and many named varieties are in cultivation.

• Species: B. davidii
• Family: Scrophulariaceae
• Order: Lamiales
• Genus: Buddleja
• Kingdom: Plantae

Today, we will talk about a well-known shrub for garden decoration whose origin comes from Japan and China. It is the butterfly bush. Its scientific name is Buddleja Davidii, and it is known by other common names such as buddleia, buddleia, butterfly flower, and summer lilo. It is widely used in all the world’s gardens for being quite resistant.

If we want to maintain a healthy environment in our garden, the best way is to plant native plants. By this, I mean using plants native to the area where you live. Plants that the different animal species can use to take refuge, feed themselves, or procreate.

For example, butterflies and hummingbirds prefer some types of plants over others. Some are selected for the shape and color of their flowers, others for the aroma they release or their delicious nectar, So if we know what these animals are looking for, we can attract them to our patio more easily.

Attract Butterflies to Your Garden

1. The Butterfly Bush

As its name suggests, the butterfly bush is one of the most common to attract many species. Its flowers are usually a purplish-blue color and are very fragrant, attracting butterflies of all kinds. The gray color of its leaves can create contrasts with other plants with darker leaves in the garden.

This plant withstands droughts and heat well, especially in summer and autumn, which is when it mostly blooms. It is recommended for climate zones between 5 and 9. Plant it somewhere very sunny, and that’s it. It can also be grown in pots with great success. 

2. The Grass of the Butterflies

It is another classic plant for attracting butterflies. This herb can add a lot of color to your garden as it produces lots of orange or yellow flowers. It usually blooms from June and continues in bloom until late fall.

It is also very good at attracting monarch butterflies. These enjoy the rich nectar of their flowers and use it to deposit their eggs that will later transform into larvae. This plant withstands full sun and drought. It is recommended to plant between zones 3 to 9.

3. Calendula or “Marigold”

It is one of the most fun plants to create gardens. Its size is very manageable, and its flowers are very showy; it transformed any garden two by three. Its flowers can be obtained in orange, yellow, and even an intense reddish color.

They are great for creating borders and planting in small groups in a pot. As long as they get good sun and have fertile but well-drained soil, these plants will bloom all summer into late fall. They are recommended for growing between zones 5 and 10. They are very good plants to attract different types of butterflies.

4. Lantana

In tropical and subtropical climates, this plant is very easy to maintain. The lantana is a verbena family and is native to the American tropics. It likes full sun and can even withstand droughts. It is highly recommended for zones 7 through 10.

It works the same to cover open ground spaces and create hanging baskets. Its flowers are varied colors and attract butterflies, bees, and buzzers.

5. Lavender

Lavender or Lavandula needs no introduction, as this is one of the plants most used to create fragrances and flower arrangements. Its flowers are mostly worth the redundancy, lavender in color, and are very effective in attracting butterflies to the garden.

This plant does best in full sun but well-drained and somewhat sandy soils. Lavender withstands drought and is best grown between zones 5 and 9. Today you can get varieties of lavender with different colored flowers.

6. The Cosmos

Although their flowers are usually quite delicate, these plants can withstand the sun well, proliferating between summer and autumn. These plants even tolerate dry soils that are poor in organic matter. They also do not need a lot of water and are very efficient at attracting everything from butterflies to birds of various species.

The most common colors in its flowers are white, red, and pink, all with a yellow center. Its leaves bear a resemblance to the leaves of some ferns. These plants look fantastic when planted in groups of 6 or more.

7. The Agapanthus

Agapanthus can produce white or blue flowers. They look very cute when placed on the edges of the garden, as their flowers grow at the end of the flower spike, giving it a few feet in height. They are perennial plants and bloom best between summer and fall.

Regarding the terrain, these plants prefer them slightly humid but very well-drained, that is, no puddles. You should enter warmer places in colder areas once the worst colds of autumn arrive. They are recommended for planting between climate zones 7 to 11.

8. Asters

One of the advantages of this plant is that it grows compact and well dense. So it serves as a filler for those bald medium areas of the garden. It is another plant that blooms best between summer and fall. It needs good sun, somewhat moderate watering, and well-drained soils.

The aster attracts butterflies of all kinds and is one of those plants that know how to avoid the jaws of deer. It is recommended for times of sun and heat between zones 5 and 8.

9. Los Girasoles

Its name already says so, sunflower. It means that the plant rotates looking for sunlight. It prefers sandy and somewhat silty soils. As long as the ground does not puddle, this plant can grow almost anywhere. This plant is strong and withstands droughts well.

The ideal is to plant it in places where the wind does not blow strongly since the weight of its flowers could cause the stem to bend or break in half. You can place a stake that will serve as support to avoid this. If you have never planted them, start with some seeds, you will see how easy and fast they grow. They are good plants to grow in midsummer.

10. The Penstemon

Its flowers are tubular and very attractive, both for butterflies and buzzers. These plants appear to be somewhat delicate. However, they endure hot and dry conditions that many other plants cannot withstand.

Visually they look best when planted in small groups. They are recommended for the edges of the garden, somewhat rocky parks, and those places where water is scarce. The best areas for its cultivation are between 4 and 9.

11. The Azalea

The azalea loves soils rich in organic matter. They also enjoy well-drained soils and places with partial sun. It is a very popular garden shrub in the southern United States.

It is a plant that likes the middle ground for water, sun, heat, and cold. However, keeping the floor somewhat humid as they are established is preferable. Today you can get hybrids more resistant to extreme heat or cold.

12. Sedum

It is a very good type of plant to cover those difficult spaces in the field. Depending on the specific variety, its leaves can vary in colors, size, and texture. They are very easy to maintain plants; they even withstand all kinds of heat and even times of drought.

Sedum needs to get good sun and stay above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Once summer arrives, these plants are lined with beautiful flowers attracting butterflies and bees. They are recommended for planting between zones 3 and 8.

13. The Passion Flower

This plant grows as a climber or vine. It makes it ideal for planting near trellises or gates where it can tangle and climb. Although the passion plant is not very demanding, the ideal is to keep the soil somewhat humid as it establishes itself.

There are many varieties of this plant; some bear fruit, and others just flower. Make sure you know which one you are buying before planting. All types need to receive good sun and prefer soils rich in organic matter. You will not be short of butterflies once you produce one of these.

14. The Pentas

The Pentas produce their flowers in small twigs. These can be achieved as white as purple, lavender, red, or pink. This plant grows best in full sun and between zones 8 and 11, They seem delicate, but they are quite strong plants.

It is good to give big risks in what is established. This way, you can create a good root system. Its flowers are among the favorites of butterflies and hummingbirds.

The Agastache

What is most impressive about this plant is its delicious mint aroma. Perhaps that is why it is among the favorites of many species of butterflies and birds. The flowers have a beautiful blue color, maybe somewhat purplish. They are very easy plants to maintain in almost any type of terrain. It resists well the droughts and the arduous heats of summer. Very good for zones 5 to 9.

1. Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii)

In this post, you will know all the characteristics and care of Buddleja Davidii.

2. Index

• 1 Main feature
• 2 Buddleja Davidii requirements
• 3 Necessary care
• 4 Maintenance and reproduction

3. Main features

It is a shrub capable of reaching up to two meters in height in good conditions. It has a deciduous or semi-deciduous leaf depending on the climate where it is found. They are normally quite resistant to frost and other more unfavorable environmental conditions.

It has branches of the arched type and with a hanging aspect. The leaves have an elongated shape and are green in color, ending in a point. There are varieties of leaves that have a green to gray color. It is what makes him look stormy. The winter temperature usually affects the conservation of the leaves. If the temperatures are generally lower, you will lose more leaves until you run out of them. Being branch, it will have a lot of density and will be a perfect shrub to cover things you do not want to see or provide more privacy to your garden.

Its flowers form beautiful clusters of lilac or pink color and make its decorative power greater. They also have a pleasant aroma that will further characterize the area where you grow them. One of the common names is summer lilac since its lilac summer flowering brings very good sensations with it that are mixed with the unique aroma.

Another reason it is called a butterfly bush is that this aroma we are talking about can attract a multitude of butterflies of all kinds. You can have many pollinating insects that will help the rest of the plants in your garden to reproduce better.

It is capable of growing so rapidly that it is considered an invasive plant in many countries. You have to be careful with some native plants because they can displace them.

4. Buddleja Davidii requirements

This shrub can benefit the garden by attracting pollinating insects, a pleasant aroma, and a beautiful color. However, it takes a few requirements for it to thrive. One of them is that they require a spacious place. As we have mentioned before, it is a fairly branched shrub and, therefore, if it has adequate growth and favorable environmental conditions, it can grow to more than 3 meters in height.

Being so branched, it will take up a lot of space in the garden. If we want to take advantage of its shrub size, we must have enough leeway so that the branches are not obstructed or limited in their growth and development.

The flowering time is in summer. It needs higher temperatures to flower well since, in winter, it is weaker and ends up losing almost all its leaves. The most suitable climate is necessary to flourish without any problem in the Mediterranean. It is mainly characterized by hotter, drier summers and mild, wet winters. If the temperatures are lower in winter, they will suffer a lot. They are usually resistant to several touches of frost, but if they are too frequent, they will suffer.

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

5. Necessary care

It is a shrub whose care is really easy and is used to form groups within the garden or use them as isolated specimens. If they are grouped, they will attract more pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.

For your needs to be on the surface, you need full sun exposure. It can also thrive in semi-shade, but it is the best for winter. In the semi-shade, there are usually lower temperatures, which affects the development of the leaves and their increase in the fall of the same If the winter is quite cold or unexpected frosts, it can be protected with plastic.

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

Watering will need to be abundant and more frequent in the warm spring and summer months. The rest of the year will be quite shortened. In winter, the only important indicator to consider is that the soil does not dry out completely. Only then is it necessary to water? The most normal thing is that they are more than enough with the winter rainfall.

6. Maintenance and reproduction

To maintain its ideal conditions throughout the year, it is best to pay it once a year. You have to use an organic fertilizer such as manure or compost, and you can add it when it’s time to use the annual fertilizer for the entire garden. In this way, we will not get too complicated in this part.

As for maintenance tasks, it is advisable to prune them intensively when autumn arrives. As soon as the flowers begin to fall and disappear, it is necessary to prune them enough so that, during the winter, they can be strengthened until it blooms much stronger the following year.

If you do not control the humidity well and it exceeds what is recommended, it could be attacked by aphids and other viral diseases.

To multiply them, it is best to use cuttings. It must be done in the fall or springtime and place them in a drawer with glass so that they can root well. It is best done in spring since the temperatures are higher, and they do not have to withstand winter. Physiologically, it is easier for them to prosper in the warm season.

I hope that you can enjoy Buddleja Davidii in your garden with these tips.

Planting Butterfly Bushes: Tips on Caring for Butterfly Bushes

Buddleia Davidii butterflies are cultivated for their long panicles of colorful flowers and their ability to attract beneficial butterflies and insects. They bloom in spring and summer, but the naturally attractive shape of the shrub and evergreen foliage keep the shrub interesting, even when not in bloom.

These hardy plants tolerate various conditions and are hardy USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Learn more about planting and caring for butterfly shrubs.

7. Planting butterfly bushes

Planting a butterfly bush in an optimal location minimizes its time on maintenance. Choose a sunny or partially shaded area where the soil is well-drained. Soil that is constantly moist encourages rotting. When planted in good quality garden soil, a butterfly bush rarely needs fertilizer.

Give your butterfly bush plenty of room. The plant label will tell you the mature size of your chosen cultivar. Although butterfly bushes tolerate harsh pruning to keep them smaller, you can reduce the time you spend pruning by planting them in a location with enough space for the plant to develop its natural size and shape. Butterfly bushes grow from 6 to 12 ft 24 m. Tall with an extension of 4 to 15 feet 4-5 m.

NOTE: The butterfly bush is considered an invasive plant in many regions. Check with your local extension office before planting to ensure the plant is allowed in your area.

8. How to care for a butterfly bush

Caring for butterfly bushes is easy. Water the shrub slowly and deeply during prolonged dry spells so that the soil absorbs the water deep into the root zone.

Plants do not need fertilization unless they are grown in poor soil. Fertilize with a 2 inch 5 cm layer of compost over the root zone or scrape with some general-purpose fertilizer if you need to enrich the soil. Root area with a 5 to 10 cm layer 2 to 4 inches of mulch is particularly important in cold climates where the roots need protection during the winter.

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

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

9. Butterfly bush problems

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

Every 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 near the bush to notice it. It is best to leave caterpillars alone unless their foraging activity has substantially damaged the bush.

Japanese beetles sometimes feed on butterfly bushes. Insecticides to control Japanese beetles are often ineffective and are more likely to destroy the abundance of beneficial insects attracted to the bush than beetles. Use traps, handpick insects, and treat lawn larvae, the larval form of Japanese beetles.

Why butterfly bush is bad?

Because butterfly bushes offer copious amounts of nectar, they become extremely attractive to pollinators, distracting them from other native co-flowering species, and reducing the native’s reproductive success which eventually also harms the native’s populations.

Is butterfly bush considered invasive?

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja [or Buddleia] davidii) is a surefire attention-grabber. … Although eye-catching, hardy, and seemingly helpful to butterflies and other pollinators, Butterfly Bush is far from beneficial; in fact it’s actually an invasive species that can impair the health of our local ecosystems.

Do butterfly bushes come back every year?

Butterfly bushes are perennial plants that die back to the ground every winter. They then send out new growth from the roots in the spring. You can prune them either in the late fall or in the early spring before the new growth starts. It is best to prune them back to about 12 inches from the ground.

Where is the best place to plant a butterfly bush?

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.

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