Also called Summer Lilac
ZONE:
5
COLOUR:
Red
HEIGHT:
150-200 cm
SPREAD:
120-150 cm
- 905-628-0112
Buddleia davidii 'Royal Red' - Royal Red Butterfly Bush - Photo courtesy of Van Belle Nursery Inc.
Also called Summer Lilac
ZONE:
5
COLOUR:
Red
HEIGHT:
150-200 cm
SPREAD:
120-150 cm
Plant in a well-drained soil in full sun. Prompt removal of spent flowers during the growing season can encourage continued bloom until frost. Prune back in late winter to maintain shape, and encourage growth and flowering for the following season.
Detractor: Butterfly Bush benefits pollinators at only one stage of their life cycle. It attracts butterflies because it provides copious nectar. However, butterflies need host plants on which to lay eggs and on which their caterpillars feed. Not a single native caterpillar eats Butterfly Bush leaves. Its invasive tendencies displace native shrubs that are essential food sources for caterpillars which, if they don't feed birds, become butterflies.
Consider alternatives: Clethra alnifolia, Itea virginica, Syringa patula Miss Kim, Cephalanthus occidentalis, or perennials Liatris spicata, Echinacea, Asclepias spp, Eupatorium spp, Agastache, Monarda, Helenium.
