Butterfly Bush Planting

More and more people are thinking of butterfly bush planting as this is a very colorful flowering plant that is resistant to many pest. The butterfly bush plant, also known as summer lilac, is originally from China. It was introduced to the United States in the 1900s. Growing butterfly bush is very easy. This plant is not susceptible to pests or plant diseases. Just as the name suggests, it is the favorite plant of butterflies.

Information on Butterfly Bush Plant

The butterfly bush can grow up to 10 to 15 feet tall. However, they reach a height of 6 to 8 feet in one season as most of these plants are cut back to the soil annually. They have a deciduous foliage that drops off in fall. They have coarse textured leaves that are dull, blue or grayish green on the top. They have a silvery bottom. The butterfly bush has flowers that are made up of tiny florets with orange centers. These clusters can grow about 4 to 10 inches long. They may stand upright or droop from the branches. These blooms are lilac, purple, pink, red or white in color.

How to Grow a Butterfly Bush

As mentioned earlier, growing butterfly bush is very easy. They love the sun as it helps them flower and they need a well-drained soil. The soil can be of any type but should contain some organic material and should be a well-drained soil. They can grow well in alkaline or acid soil as well. These plants can be established anytime in the South, whereas in North they need to be planted in spring. This is important to get it established before the winter arrives.

You need to carry out the planting in an area that gets full sun, with soil that is moist and well-drained. The soil should be cultivated to a depth of 12 to 15 inches with a spade and added with rich compost. The holes should be dug twice the diameter of the potted plant. Each hole should be 5 to 10 feet apart. The butterfly bush grow about 10 feet tall and you should grow them right at the back of your perennial garden.

The plant should be placed in the hole at the same level as the ground. The root ball should be filled in with loose soil and added with a thin layer of mulch. You should water the plant thoroughly. Every spring you should topdress the plant with compost and feed it with a little all-purpose fertilizer.

You need to water the plant weekly if it does not rain. You can even try container gardening for butterfly bush planting. You need to use a 12 inches wide and 12 inches tall container with drainage holes. Then you should add a soil-less potting mix as it minimizes the risk of soil borne diseases. You can add a slow acting granular fertilizer during the growing season. After the frost, wrap the container with a bubble wrap or burlap. This will help insulate the roots and soil from extreme fluctuations of soil temperature that can happen during winter freezing and thawing cycle.

These are ornamental plants that will attract many beautiful butterflies to your garden. You can add a splash of color and life to your garden by growing a butterfly bush plant. I hope this article on butterfly bush planting proves to be a useful read.