What Type of Butterfly Bush is Right For You?
There is a lot more to a Butterfly Bush than just a pretty name. These amazing plants really do attract butterflies so if you’re a fan of these magnificent winged insects then you may want to consider adding them to your landscaping theme, but before you do there are a few things that you need to know about these lovely bushes. There are several different varieties of them so it’s important to learn the differences so you find the butterfly bush that is right for you and your environment. Here are the things that you need to know before making your choice.
What is a Butterfly Bush?
Butterfly Bushes are perennial bush shrubs. They come back every year when spring returns and causes the sap to flow through their branches. The shrub produces some of the most strikingly beautiful flower spikes in the plant kingdom. There are a few different types of them so you need to choose carefully to make sure that you get the right kind of bush that is a good fit with your landscaping scheme.
A variety of colors
Thanks to the dultivar developers, there are a lot of different colors available in the Butterfly Bush. They come in pink, blue, red and more. There is even a variety called Buddleia x weyeriana Bicolor that puts off multi-colored blooms. Different colors can attract other interesting nectar and pollen harvesters, for example, hummingbirds are partial to the red Butterfly Bush spikes.
Different types of bushes
Butterfly Bushes are grown in a variety of sizes. Some of the bushes can reach as tall as 12 feet in height, while others are designed to grow lower to the ground. The first Butterfly Bushes were discovered in Asia by Adam Buddle who was an English botanist. His brought some of them back to England with him in 1774. There are still new varieties of the bush being discovered and they’re found growing in remote areas of Himalaya and China. Even the appearance of the blooms appear different from one variety to another. Some plants produce flowering spikes of blooms while others grow large flower clusters.
Why some people hate Butterfly Bushes
Yes, they are a beautiful plant but there can be a few drawbacks to having certain kinds of Butterfly Bushes growing on your property. Some types are very invasive. When Butterfly Bushes of some types are introduced into an area that they are not native to, they can actually grow in so densely that they take over an area and kill off the indigenous plants to the area. This can lead to damage of the delicate ecosystem within an area and it can not only affect the existing flora and fauna, it can also affect the insects, birds and other wildlife in a kind of chain reaction. There are some states within the US that have classified Butterfly Bushes as a noxious weed. Once they get a foothold in an area they are very hard to kill off. They’re a hardy shrub that thrives in a harsh environment and they are resistant to stress, insects and drought.
Benefits of the Butterfly Bush
In addition to being beautiful and attracting hummingbirds and butterflies, these bushes are exceptionally easy to grow and they don’t require a lot of heavy maintenance. There are also new variations of them which have been cultivated which are seedless. This means that you can buy Butterfly Bushes that will not reproduce so they won’t present risks to the environment.
Sterile types of the Butterfly Bush
If you’re a Butterfly Bush lover but you don’t want to take the risk of having an issue with spreading, then you ‘ll want to choose a variety that is near seedless or absolutely seedless. The sterile types include the Ice Chip, the Chip Jr. the Blue Chip, Asian Moon, Inspired Pink, Purple Haze, Pink Micro Chip and the Flutterby Grande. There are three other types that are considered to be unlikely to reproduce because of their low fertility, but there is still a low chance. These are the Miss Molly, the Miss Ruby and the Lilac Chip.
Why you need to choose carefully
There are a few good reasons why you should be selective about the type of Butterfly Bush that you choose to introduce into your current landscape. The first is to ensure that you protect the ecosystem and avoid planting varieties that are likely to take over the area. This could quickly turn into a nightmare because they’re hard to control once they get a foot hold. The second is to get the right size of plant that produces blooms in the desired color or colors and with the aesthetic that is the most pleasing to you. There are several online resources that you can consult if you’re in doubt.
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