Rough Draft 10/25/2021
Intro
Yes! There is a reason why the name of this bush is the butterfly bush. It does attract butterflies, hummingbirds and honey bees. This is a great way to support pollinators and in turn give all of us a wonderful assortment of fresh produce from our gardens and grocery stores. The butterfly bush is a perennial so it will return and flower every year without needing to replant. When this bush is in full bloom during the summertime there are bright purple clusters of flowers that continue to grow and the scent is so fragrant and sweet. During the winter in most colder states the bush will die back but don’t be too concerned it will return by growing the spring with the first of its flowers appearing once summer is underway.
Growing and Care
The butterfly bush is an eye-catching and fast-growing shrub with masses of blossoms. The bush will bloom from summer to fall. One interesting fact is that although Its flowers come in many colors, butterflies, especially the monarch butterfly, seem to prefer the variety of lavender-pink hues over the white and dark purple blooms that form on the bush. Hummingbirds seem to prefer the more reddish colored blooms.
Being such a fast growing bush pruning is a nice activity to pursue to keep your bush nice and neat in your landscape. The time of year to prune is in the spring when the shoots start appearing and when growth takes place. Keep from not pruning in the fall during autumn clean up because the cold winter months ahead can damage or harm the growth of a butterfly bush with a fall pruning.
Sun and Water
This bush loves a full sum position and well draining soil. This bush doesn’t even mind hot summer temperatures or the bright summer sun heating its leaves and flowers. By keeping this in a perfect sunny spot blooms can even appear during the first year once it’s planted.
Water well when first planted and when the soil is dry. Be sure the soil is well draining, these bushes are a lot like many scented flowering plants and trees. They don’t like their roots near the surface or deeper below soaking or sitting in stagnant pooling water. Having well draining soil keeps the blossoms coming throughout the summer and into fall months.
Conclusion
As mentioned above this bush is a perennial and furthermore it’s deciduous as well. Deciduous means it will shed its leaves in the late autumn and will be a bare tree during the winter. However every spring the leaves will have new growth and the blooms will be appearing as summer approaches. Some nurseries and gardeners call this bush by its nickname as a summer lilac. If you are a honeybee enthusiast or enjoy attracting pollinators to your yard or garden this vibrant bush is the one for you.
Resource links
https://www.almanac.com/plant/butterfly-bush
https://www.plantdelights.com/blogs/articles/butterfly-bush-buddleia-davidii-plant-buddleja
https://butterflywebsite.com/articles/buddleia-butterfly-bush.cfm