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butterfly bushes

How to Plant a Butterfly Bush

Mar 22nd, 2011
by ButterflyLover.
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Butterfly Bush

While there are many different candidates, one you should absolutely consider is the butterfly bush. As its name indicates, it is intrinsically related to the attraction of butterflies.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t consider other plants? No, you should. But if you compare the various options in terms of how attractive they are to butterflies, and how easy they are to plant and keep alive, the butterfly bush is almost always hands down the winner.

If you are not an experienced gardener, these bushes can be a bit intimidating to get started with. This can be especially true if you are dealing with a fairly small area and you need to make every plant, flower and shrub count. (more…)


Tags: butterfly bushes, natural compost, butterfly gardeners, winged visitors, butterfly bush

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) ‘White Ball’

Mar 21st, 2011
by ButterflyLover.
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Easy-to-grow butterfly bushes attract multitudes of butterflies all day long.

Not many plants are as prolific blooming, fun or versatile as the Buddleia or Butterfly Bush. Also called Summer Lilac, it is the one plant that can be found in almost every butterfly garden around the world as it is a virtual butterfly magnet, attracting more butterflies than just about any plant growing in temperate climates.

The beautiful flower panicles that appear for several months emit a sweet honey fragrance that will be a favorite of every butterfly in your neighborhood. This week we are featuring ‘White Ball’, a new, super-compact, white-flowering Buddleia davidii variety that vastly increases the number of places you can grow a butterfly bush. (more…)


Tags: fragrant blooms, butterfly bush, butterfly plant, grey foliage, butterfly bushes

Propagating Butterfly Bush from Root Cuttings

Dec 2nd, 2009
by Kathleen.
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Buddleja

Image via Wikipedia

Propagating Butterfly Bush from root cuttings.

The first step for how to root cuttings from the butterfly bush is to select a stem for cutting. In early Fall, choose a stem for butterfly bush propagation that is at least 6 inches long, and is new growth cut the flower off. A new growth stem will be a lighter green than old growth.

Also be aware that if you live in a colder climate where the butterfly bush dies back to the ground, the whole shrub may be new growth.

Once you have selected a stem to propagate the butterfly bush, take a sharp pair of shears and cut the stem off just below a leaf node. A leaf node is where a set of leaves will be growing.

The butterfly bush cutting should be at least 4 inches long and should contain at least one additional set of leaves above the selected leaf node. Snip the cutting from the stem.

Next, strip all but the top most set of leaves from the cutting. The cutting should have only two leaves left, dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone.

Rooting hormone will increase the chances of successfully propagating butterfly bush, place the cutting into damp potting soil. Place the pot in a sheltered location out of direct sunlight. (more…)


Tags: potting soil, butterfly gardens, butterfly bushes, tiger swallowtails, butterfly bush

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