The butterfly bush (Buddleja) attracts all kinds of butterflies because it makes all kinds of blooms and there's something about them butterflies like. (WIKI: Buddleja)
A butterfly bush will get much bigger than this one and it's not unusual to see butterflies coming to it constantly. Lotho has had one for donkey's years and it must be eight or nine feet ... butterflies galore.
Note: there is a specific caution against planting butterfly bushes because it's regarded as highly-invasive and is said to be banned for public planting in some states. The justification for that is throwing a large number of seeds on the wind. I've never encountered that and I have never heard Lotho mention any starting around the one in his yard and I never saw anyone deadheading the ex-blooms. That bush sure has had plenty of time to naturalize if it will.
No doubt it's true the bush throws a lot of seeds but the point is I've never seen anything come of them and I don't think Lotho has either. Some may land miles away but some would land close-by and I've not personally seen evidence of that.
This item is specifically so Yevette sees it because she will want both sides of it. I would still go ahead and do it. You will likely keep an eye on it anyway because you like watching the butterflies. It's like watching fish in a fish tank because it's cool to see them do what they do without us doing anything.
A butterfly bush will get much bigger than this one and it's not unusual to see butterflies coming to it constantly. Lotho has had one for donkey's years and it must be eight or nine feet ... butterflies galore.
Note: there is a specific caution against planting butterfly bushes because it's regarded as highly-invasive and is said to be banned for public planting in some states. The justification for that is throwing a large number of seeds on the wind. I've never encountered that and I have never heard Lotho mention any starting around the one in his yard and I never saw anyone deadheading the ex-blooms. That bush sure has had plenty of time to naturalize if it will.
No doubt it's true the bush throws a lot of seeds but the point is I've never seen anything come of them and I don't think Lotho has either. Some may land miles away but some would land close-by and I've not personally seen evidence of that.
This item is specifically so Yevette sees it because she will want both sides of it. I would still go ahead and do it. You will likely keep an eye on it anyway because you like watching the butterflies. It's like watching fish in a fish tank because it's cool to see them do what they do without us doing anything.
11 comments:
I find them rather hard to propogate. There is a magenta variety that is rather hard to find.
It is a woody stem bush that must have old stems cleared out every few years. I have two that even when cleared to groubd level come back to flower that year
I cant recommend the benefit of researching the diet of the caterpillar to attract the species you want
That caterpillar is some kind of bad guy??
I remember those bushes and how much I would dig it just watching them and trying to get pictures of them, especially that butterfly bee. There is one seriously strange creature.
Caterpillars are cool. They dont eat much but they produce such cool creatures
Ah, ok. It sounded like you might see a problem with a particular caterpillar. Definitely extraordinary creatures and such an amazing transformation they perform.
Are you sure it was Butterfly Bush that was so invasive?? I cannot remember the name of the plant--had small purple flowers..we had it in the yard...I will remember the name of the plant--just not coming to me now. ML
http://www.invasiveplants.net/
Purple Loosestrife !! ML
Oh yes, I'm positive. Someone went to great lengths to describe the great danger, specifically, of butterfly bushes as in Buddleia. I have never seen the problem and I don't see any response here which shows me anyone else has seen it but author was on a major campaign. I'll try to track down the link again. I mentioned it in the article because I didn't think it would be honest to omit it but my own view is the author has gone way up a gum tree.
Yes, I'm aware of Purple Loosestrife and that invasiveness is real. I was growing it for a while and they spread like mad. There's naturalizing and then there's demonic!
I'm not surprised to see thistle all over the list of invasive plants. I still hate that stuff!
I also did not see Buddleia.
http://www.invasivespecies.wa.gov/priorities/butterfly_bush.shtml
It seems Buddleia is only a problem in the Washington area and the invasiveness is nonexistent elsewhere.
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