Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush) is a shrub (family Buddlejaceae) with a cluster of pink to purple flowers and narrow leaves found in the San Francisco Bay area and coastal ranges of California, and is invasive in the Pacific Northwest. It is native to China.
Where is the best place to plant a Buddleia?
They perform best when planted in full sun (or at least in partial shade) and in fertile, well-drained soil. Dependent on the variety, plant around 5 to 10 feet apart for a gorgeous display. Plant Buddleia in Spring or in Autumn before the first frosts and water thoroughly after planting.
Should Buddleia be cut back every year?
Buddleja alternifolia should be pruned as it finishes flowering in midsummer. Cut back all the stems that have flowered to healthy buds, to produce flowering wood for the following season. Buddleja globosa should be pruned just to maintain a good shape or remove dead and damaged shoots.
Is Buddleia a perennial?
The butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a fast-growing, perennial shrub with masses of flowers—long, spiked trusses—that bloom from summer to autumn.
Is Buddleia davidii invasive? – Related Questions
What happens if I don’t cut back my buddleia?
Varieties of Buddleja davidii can become very tatty if not properly pruned. If you leave buddleja unpruned, the only thing you see at eye level is a twiggy tangle of bare stems, with the blooms held at the tips of the stems, way above head height. They will also grow very large.
Are buddleia roots invasive?
Buddleia (Buddleja davidii) is an invasive plant that is found throughout the United Kingdom, often seen growing alongside railway lines, urban wasteland and road verges.
Can I plant a Buddleia near my house?
Buddleia can cause structural damage if it gets a foothold within pavements, chimneys and the smallest cracks and crevices of buildings. Once this happens, the roots of the Buddleia plant have the strength to force buildings apart, creating a gateway for water into the property.
Should I remove Buddleia from my garden?
If you like your Buddleia davidii, you don’t have to remove it. But prune it severely as soon as the flowers have faded – that means it doesn’t have a chance to spread its seeds. Remember to dispose of the prunings properly, not by dumping them over the garden fence.
Is a butterfly bush low maintenance?
The bushes require little attention, so even weekend gardeners can enjoy their lovely blooms and resident butterflies. Butterfly bush is very easy to grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in a full sun location. If planting more then one, space them well apart—five to six feet.
Do butterfly bushes attract mosquitoes?
The scientists chose the butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) for their experiment because it’s a very hardy plant that flowers throughout the year, and mosquitoes are attracted to it.
Do I need to winterize my butterfly bush?
One application in spring should be sufficient in most areas, though if you want more growth, you may make subsequent applications in late spring and early summer. In short, there’s actually very little you should do to butterfly bushes in winter.
Are butterfly bushes poisonous to dogs?
Although butterfly bushes (Buddleja davidii) are not edible, they are no more toxic than any garden plant. They should be safe to plant where children, dogs, cats, and other animals live. In fact, butterfly bushes are deer resistant. They attract and feed nectar to hummingbirds and butterflies.
Why should you avoid butterfly bushes?
Although eye-catching, hardy, and seemingly helpful to butterflies and other pollinators, Butterfly Bush is far from beneficial; in fact it’s actually an invasive species that can impair the health of our local ecosystems.
Why is butterfly bush a problem?
Because butterfly bushes offer copious amounts of nectar, they become extremely attractive to pollinators, distracting them from other native co-flowering species, and reducing the native’s reproductive success which eventually also harms the native’s populations.
Are butterfly bushes banned in some states?
Though it may come as a surprise to the people who struggle to grow it at all, there are places where butterfly bush is invasive – so much so that Washington State and Oregon have both banned it from being sold or planted there.
Do hummingbirds like butterfly bushes?
As you can imagine, the butterfly bush is famous for attracting butterflies, though hummingbirds enjoy its large, fragrant flowers as well. This perennial can grow five to 12 feet tall and spread four to 15 feet.
What animal eats butterfly bush?
Because butterfly bush is originally from Asia, it has no natural predators here.
Which butterfly bush is not invasive?
‘Flutterby Pink’ Butterfly Bush
It produces pink blooms continuously from summer until frost. It rarely re-seeds, so it’s non-invasive.