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Attract Butterflies to Your Garden

By Michael Russell

Attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden can be as easy as planting flowers they love! One butterfly and hummingbird magnet is the butterfly bush. When checking catalogs, the Latin name can be classified as either "Buddleia davidii" or "Buddeleia davidii" (most common). Technically, the butterfly bush is a shrub, although it grows much like a perennial in that it dies completely to the ground each year. Buddeleia are best suited in USDA hardiness zones 5 - 10. In the lower zones, the butterfly bush won't survive the winter.

There are a wide variety of Buddeleia. You can choose one by size or flower color. Typically, Buddleia grow anywhere from 6 to 12 feet tall and can spread as much as 15 feet across. The plant looks somewhat like a fountain when fully grown, with slender arching branches or stems. The leaf color can vary from silver green to dark green. The tip of each stem will have a long cone-like flower head, made up of tiny tube shaped individual flowers. The plant will bloom from early summer through the first frost.

Some popular cultivars of Buddleia are:

- Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight' - dark purple flowers, height to 72 inches. - Buddleia davidii 'Nanho Blue' - deep blue flowers, height to 60 inches. - Buddleia davidii 'Royal Red' - magenta flowers, height to 96 inches.

If you want to try a more unusual plant, try:

- Buddleia davidii 'Harlequin' - pale, variegated foliage with magenta blooms. Height to 72 inches. - Buddleia davidii 'Butterfly Hybrids' - a mix of white, pink and purple blooms on the same plant. Height to 60 inches.

Buddleia grow best in well drained soil and full sun. Keep in mind the full sun is also what will attract the butterflies, as they need the sun to warm their body temperature for flying. When you plant your Buddleia, water thoroughly. While they will tolerate dry conditions, don't let the newly planted bush dry out until it is established.

Like perennials, the butterfly bush will die down to the ground over the winter in colder climates. In colder hardiness zones, place mulch over the plant after the first hard freeze. Do not cut back the old wood until spring time to give the root crown extra protection. For warmer climates, prune the Buddleia back by about one third in early spring . In the spring, remove the mulch. Buddleia are slow to awaken in the spring, well after the last frost, so don't give your bush up for dead if you don't see growth for a while! During the bloom season, prune off the spent blossoms (called dead-heading) to encourage new flowers.

Deciding how many Buddleia to add to your garden is dependent upon how much space you have. Buddleia look great as a single specimen plant, or as mass groupings. When grouping Buddleia, keep them in the back of the garden, as their height will make a great back drop. The more bushes you plant, the more butterflies you will attract!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide.
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