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Butterfly Bushes That Don't Put You in the Shade

By Maureen "MO" Gilmer
September 18, 2006

Full-sized Pink Delight Butterfly Bush.

Even at 20 yards away, the monster black butterfly stood out like a sore thumb. I'd never seen this exotic inky beauty with hits vivid yellow stripe before. It clung unmoving to the avalanche of white oleander flowers cascading over my back wall.

My books told me it is a zebra longwing, a southern butterfly found from Florida to Texas. It must have traveled far west of its usual haunts to reach my Palm Springs garden. Upon further reading I learned why. My red and purple passionflower vines are its preferred larval food plant; they rarely stray far from such a food source. Moreover, they are attracted to white flowers, which, in turn, explained its affinity for the oleanders.

Plant butterfly bush under windows to observe at
close range.

Such a discovery in my own backyard reminded me of why butterflies are among the most remarkable creatures. One poet called them jewels of the air and indeed they are. We frequently see the monarchs here _ they also feed on the passionflowers. And, occasionally, swallowtails stop in, too. But the zebra longwing was the real payoff.

This illustrates how important the right kinds of plants are to attracting butterflies to any garden. One of the sure lures is butterfly bush, a big rangy fellow that goes by the botanical name, "Buddleia davidii." These fast-growing shrubs are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and reach 8 to 12 feet tall at maturity. The tips of their long arching branches are topped with large cone shaped racemes of flowers. They are, without question, irresistible to butterflies.

But for small gardens the butterfly bush can be far too large a plant, taking over entirely a limited space. Fortunately there are smaller forms now that prove to be real problem-solvers for the spatially challenged gardener.

Butterfly bush blossoms draw butterflies like crazy.

Look for the Petite series of butterfly bushes. They blossom with the same sized flowers as their predecessors, but atop a third smaller plant. Most reach only five feet. They come in three different colors: Petite Snow, white; Petite Plum, burgundy, and Petite Indigo, lilac blue. While young they may appear identical to the larger varieties. So be sure to buy only well-labeled plants.

Another group of cultivars is even smaller, growing to just three feet. These are real problem-solvers and can be used as butterfly magnets in city gardens. This is the perfect height to plant under windows of your home because the flowers will be at just the right height to bring butterflies right up to first-floor windows. Look for: Adonis Blue, deep blue; Peacock, a deep pink, and Purple Emperor, a royal purple.

There are even some singular standard-sized butterfly bushes that offer variegated foliage for more interest when not in bloom. Strawberry Lemonade and Harlequin both feature bright golden variegated foliage with magenta pink and purple blossoms.

Exploit the range of colors and plant butterfly bushes all over the garden. Keep in mind they do not perform well when crowded. Separation allows plenty of air circulation and full solar exposure. If you use them along fence lines or building walls, don't plant them too close to the structure for the same reason Fertilize plants in early spring to encourage fast growth and flower production.

Monrovia's dwarf white butterfly busy "Petite Snow."

Butterfly bushes bloom best on new wood, which is the current season's growth. These will be new spring sprouts that grow to bloom in summer. This is vital to consider when you prune the plants. In midwinter cut off all the previous summer's growth, leaving about a foot of live buds behind to produce next year's growth. If you fail to do this the plants will grow into over-large thickets of spindly wood that won't produce the big bold flower clusters you want. If you have numerous butterfly bushes, leave one bush unpruned each year because this one will flower earlier in the season to attract butterflies sooner.

Size and speed of growth make butterfly bushes the best plants available for creating instant butterfly habitat. Locate them with near windows so you can enjoy these jewels of the air while you do dishes or sit at your desk. Most of all, be prepared for an education because you will be pleasantly surprised at how many butterflies types show up that you've never seen before.

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