Pretty Perfect
It’s hard to pick a favorite plant. Or the perfect plant. Everything offers something. But at the top of the favorite, perfect list has to be the Butterfly Bush. It has so many good things going for it, it’s worth a spot somewhere in your yard. Its winning attributes include:
-Long flowering –Most shrubs bloom once, then they’re just green shrubs the rest of summer. But these will bloom all summer long, from mid spring, up until frost.
-Fragrant – Flowers come in a range of colors, but all of them are fragrant. Put them in a pot on the patio, plant them by the front door, or under your bedroom window, just plant them where you can enjoy the fragrance.
- Attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. The name fits the plant, butterflies love them! The flowers are high in nectar and are a great food source for adult butterflies. Be sure to include other plants for the caterpillars (the larval stage of butterflies) if you’re planting a butterfly garden.
- Low maintenance – If you have the right conditions, these shrubs don’t require a lot of care or maintenance. They actually like growing here. But to keep them happy and flowering, plant them in full sun, meaning at least 8 hours of direct sun. They also need well-drained soil, avoid areas where water collects. If you have clay, plant them high to help with drainage. Butterfly bushes are late to leaf out in the spring, so be patient. Even if everything else is green, give them a couple more weeks before you assume they’re dead. Prune them back only when you see the new growth and green leaves. Other than that, sit back, relax and enjoy the fragrance, color and butterfly activity. It’s pretty perfect.
