Butterfly bush is sometimes referred to as the buddeia bush which makes a great addition to your garden

Because butterflies eat nectar in order to live, a bush called a butterfly bush is of course full of nectar, and thus the bush also attracts a number of hummingbirds and bees to your garden as well.

The bush has narrow little branches that need to support large clusters of blossoms. At times these blossoms can reach one to two feet in length.

The flower-laden branches tend to droop all the way to the ground when watered or after a rain, thus there should be quite a bit of space left for them to do this in your garden.

• There are over 100 different species of the Buddleia you can grow in your garden, but all are beloved by butterflies.

• Most of them exude a sweet fragrance to both butterflies and humans, and the sweet nectar is its sweetest in the noonday sun.

• The bushes are also “showy,” for they have some of the most beautifully colored flowers that come in pinks, reds, blues, purples and whites, to name a few.

Blooms usually appear in the late spring and remain on the bush until the first frost.

One species has truly highly ornamental foliage as it has tiny flower spikes that are composed of orange-eyed small lilac flowers!

Generally the buddeia bushes grow to an average height of seven feet, but some species can grow to a height of 12 feet.

As mentioned before, they can have a rather wide spread, some needing as much as 15 feet, thus if you plan to plant the bushes, be sure and inquire how much space the specie you are considering will take.

• One specie is called a Fountain Bush, even though it becomes the size of a small tree, about 8’ tall. The remarkable thing about a fountain bush is its incredible beauty, for it is very aptly named.

• The branches when in bloom drape downward as if they were a beautiful water spray.

• Many gardeners pair up Fountain Bushes to make an even more dramatic bush, and by mixing different species of the Fountain Bush, they are guaranteed blooms for months on end. This will keep butterflies coming for the nectar for a long time, besides being a magnificent plant.

I am exceptionally taken with the Golden Butterfly Bush, which has bright yellow flowers and very dark green foliage. The foliage grows very densely, making it a perfect bush for backyard privacy that is so much prettier than a fence would be. Butterfly bushes generally grow best in well drained, but average soil.

They thrive quite well in fairly dry conditions after they are established.

Wet soil may cause the roots to perish. Butterfly bushes are called a semi-evergreen where climates have mild winters.

In the north, you may cut them back to ground level, and they will re-emerge from the root. In warmer climes, such cutting back is not necessary and so they will reach their maximum size and remain there.

Be aware though that flowering is usually more prolific and larger on new wood, thus pruning is good for the plant.

Pinching off flower clusters may encourage and prolong blooming. Plant butterfly bushes in either full sun or partly sunny areas, then enjoy the spectacle of butterflies.

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