Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' Butterfly Bush | ButterflyBushes.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you prune a lo and behold blue chip butterfly bush? ›

Pruning generally not needed, but may be trimmed in spring. Fragrant flowers. Deer resistant. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

This Proven Winners butterfly bush is another fantastic innovation from Dr. Dennis Werner of NCSU and is non-invasive and approved for sale in Oregon and Washington.

Has strong stems and upright habit and matures at 4 to 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Great for borders and landscape plantings. New plantings require more frequent watering than established plants. Wind, temperature and soil are factors to consider in watering.

But without regular pruning, butterfly bushes can become sparse, and flowering can diminish, leaving next to nothing for pollinators. So keep pruning to keep the butterflies coming to your garden for years to come!

So while the butterfly bush may appear to attract many butterflies to your yard, it can inadvertently damage the local ecosystem by spreading into natural areas and crowding out the native plants crucial to butterfly life cycles.

But do prune your butterfly bush.

The warmer your climate, the more you should cut back your butterfly bush each spring. Even dwarf varieties like our Lo & Behold^® series still need pruning – you'll just be cutting back less than you would on a variety that reaches 8' tall.

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.

Typically, a butterfly bush will live about 10 years. You may find some plants that live longer than that, but it's a rare case. Proper care of a butterfly bush will help it live longer and thrive in your garden.

Light: Butterfly bushes grow and flower best in full sun. They will grow fine in part shade, especially in warmer climates, but their flowering may be reduced. Soil: Butterfly Bushes are not particular about the soil conditions, as long as it drains well. Poorly-drained soils can cause root rot.

Care Requirements

Water when the soil seems dry. To help maintain healthy roots, use a moisture meter to gauge how wet or dry your plant really is! An established butterfly bush is fairly drought resistant, and only needs watering during long dry spells.

How do you winterize a butterfly bush? ›

Water the plant regularly but slowly diminish the amount of moisture you give the plant a couple of weeks before the date of your first frost. This will allow the plant to experience dormancy, a period when the plant is not actively growing and is, therefore, not as susceptible to shock and site changes.

The colorful flowering butterfly bush is easy to care for and a favorite of gardeners and butterflies alike. Butterfly bushes, Buddleia davidii, are fast-growing deciduous shrubs that will tempt butterflies and hummingbirds to visit your garden.

Butterfly bushes should be cut back to a foot tall to promote new growth and the best blooms. You can cut the shrub back to ground level; however, you take the risk of late frost or freeze killing new growth and losing the plant. Hard pruning is done in late February or early March depending on your climate.

Pruning and Deadheading

While butterfly bushes are quite low maintenance overall, annual pruning and regular deadheading is recommended to maintain your plant's best health. Deadheading your plants means snipping off any browning flower clusters to encourage more flowering though the bloom season.

The warmer your climate, the more you should cut back your butterfly bush each spring. Even dwarf varieties like our Lo & Behold^® series still need pruning – you'll just be cutting back less than you would on a variety that reaches 8' tall. Be patient.