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You are here: Home / Gardening / Growing Butterfly Bushes

Growing Butterfly Bushes

July 20, 2010 by Alea Milham 25 Comments

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How to Grow Butterfly Bushes - Use these tips for growing and caring for your Butterfly Bush. It is an easy keeper and requires little water and can survive both hot summers and cold winters.

Butterfly Bushes definitely live up to their name. I have a dozen of these bushes scattered through out the backyard and my children and I love watching the butterflies flit from bush to bush.

Attracting butterflies to your yard with butterfly bushes

How to Grow Butterfly Bushes

How to Plant Butterfly Bushes

Plant Butterfly bushes in the spring or fall. They need full sun and well-drained soil. Think carefully about the location when planting they will grow to be over 4′ wide and 4′ to 6′ tall. Make sure you space butterfly plants 5 – 8 feet apart.

Dig your hole, twice large as the root ball, loosen the soil, mix in compost. When placing the plant in the hole, the top of the rootball should be level with the soil surface. fill in with soil that has been mixed with compost and water thoroughly.

Caring for Butterfly Bushes

In the summer, water if your rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. You can water freely during periods of growth, but you can cut back on your watering during periods of dormancy.

Each spring, apply a thin layer of compost. Other than that, you don’t need to worry about fertilizing your butterfly bush. Too much fertilizer supports leaf growth instead of flower production.

Each spring, apply a thin layer of mulch to retain moisture and control weeds. In cold climates, spread mulch up to 6 inches deep around the trunk to protect it through the winter. Remove the excess mulch in the spring, add a thin layer of compost and reapply a thin layer of mulch.

They will die back to the root in cold winters. Butterfly bushes are very late to break dormancy, so do not try to assess winter damage until very late spring.

Butterfly bushes bloom on new wood, so even if there is no winter die-back, cut them back to within 6 – 12 inches of the ground every spring to stimulate new growth on which flowers are produced.

Growing Butterfly Bushes

I think I would enjoy these hardy plants even if they didn’t attract so many butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. They require very little water, do not mind poor soil, are unfazed by 100 degree heat, and can survive –20 degree winters. Around here they are known as easy keepers!

How to Grow Butterfly Bushes - Use these tips for growing and caring for your Butterfly Bush. It is an easy keeper and requires little water and can survive both hot summers and cold winters.

The bushes in my backyard, die back to the ground in the winter. I have a microclimate which is a little warmer in the front yard and the bushes there remain green year round. I advise putting at least 6 inches of mulch around the plants in the fall if you live in zones 4 – 6, to help them weather the winter.

Butterfly-Bush-in-bloom

I have bushes with pink, white, and lavender flowers, though none of the white flowers have opened yet. They remind me of lilacs with all of their little trumpet flowers.  They differ from lilacs, in that they do not have a short flowering season. They will bloom from spring to fall, unless they are under unusual stress. Once the temperatures reach the mid 90’s my Butterfly Bushes stop producing new flowers. They resume once the temperatures drop back to the 80’s.

Butterfly-Branch-with-blooming-and-spent-flowers

In the picture above, is a spent flower, flanked by two blooming spikes, with another flower beginning to form lower on the branch. I think the spent flowers still look pretty, so I leave them for a while. However, removing spent flowers does encourage new shoots and flower buds.

The flowers start opening from the base and work their way to the tip of the spike.  They do not drop their blooms once they are done flowering, so they must be pruned.  I don’t think there is any agreed upon way to prune Butterfly Bushes, though most gardeners  agree that they are very forgiving and will survive just about any pruning they receive.

how to grow butterfly bushes

To save money on landscaping our yard with butterfly bushes, I bought 1 gallon sized plants. They grow fairly quickly and within in 2 years our bushes were over 4 feet tall. If you buy small plants, keep in mind the fact that they will 6 feet high and 3 – 4 feet wide when you are planning where to plant them.

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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Grace says

    September 23, 2019 at 6:19 am

    I’ve had a white Butterfly Bush for four years & it hasn’t grown much in size. it’s still pretty sparse in size at around 2ft x 2ft. It blooms every year in September. It’s planted in full sun & I’m in zone at 5b. What am I doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Jackey says

      June 20, 2023 at 5:17 am

      It’s possible you bought a small butterfly bush that won’t grow bigger. Some only get 2-3 feet tall.

      Reply
  2. Sheila says

    June 6, 2018 at 9:50 pm

    Can I successfully grow a butterfly bush in zone 3?

    Reply
  3. Sandra says

    May 1, 2018 at 3:35 pm

    What is the name of this butterfly bush so I can buy some.

    Reply
  4. marla wetterling says

    May 26, 2017 at 8:37 am

    I planted 6+ butterfly bushes in my backyard. I’ve had a couple that aren’t doing so well and then I have others that are way over 8 feet tall. I am going to try to stake it up as it is right next to our house. The butterflies and hummingbirds always flock to it. I didn’t the tall ones back at all this year, I’ll remember to do it in the late fall/early winter. Thanks for all the great ideas. Fernley, Nevada

    Reply
  5. Betty says

    August 15, 2016 at 7:46 pm

    I am not permitted to plant in the yard in the retirement community I live in so I bought a butterfly bush and put it in a large container. It only grew to a foot tall, and bloomed beautifully! I have seen a few butterflies on it. I am planning to cut it back severely this fall and cover it with straw for the winter. Do you water it when its freezing outside. I wasn’t planning on it but someone said I should. I’m in Massachusetts so it gets really cold most all winter. Anybody?

    Reply
    • Alea Milham says

      August 15, 2016 at 8:59 pm

      Don’t prune it in the early winter! The stems are hollow and rain and snow can get down in there and freeze causing damage to the plant. I recommend pruning in late winter or early spring instead.

      I only water my butterfly bushes in the winter if we don’t get very much snow. Usually, the snowmelt provides enough water. If your container is in an area where it gets limited precipitation, then you will want to water the plant whenever the daytime temperature gets over 50 degrees during the winter.

      Reply
  6. Sharon says

    June 25, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    I wpuld like to
    Propagate my butterfly bush. What is a soft root cutting?

    Reply
  7. Sylvia Garland says

    June 15, 2016 at 6:38 pm

    I have been fertilizing my butterfly bushes with alfalfa straw, the kind you feed gerbils. U can buy at feed supply stores, like Southern States. I place the straw over the feeder roots, cover with light soil and mulch. The result u get is unbelievable. Bushes grow 8 feet+ and I have counted 200 plus blooms. At mid growing season, I trim, dead head, fertilize again and a second bloom rewards the butterflies until fall. Do not feed alfalfa granules for gerbils, I learned the hard way .

    Reply
  8. Heather says

    July 22, 2010 at 9:37 pm

    I enjoy butterfly bushes… anything to bring in lovelies like the monarch:)

    stopping by from TGP.

    Reply
  9. Nanna says

    July 21, 2010 at 10:59 pm

    even if nothing grows in my itty bitty garden it's a joy to see the butterflies come around LOL
    Helen

    Reply
  10. zentmrs says

    July 21, 2010 at 3:54 pm

    That's a beautiful plant! I'm always looking for something to attract the butterflies and hummingbirds to my yard. Love to watch them. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Ann @ makethebestofthings says

    July 21, 2010 at 3:21 pm

    Your bushes are pretty. I have one bush that grows back to twelve feet tall each year after severe pruning. It has gorgeous purple blooms and the butterflies love it. It really is a carefree and reliable plant! I saw one bush in Jacksonville, Oregon that was HUGE and BEAUTIFUL, easily 15 foot tall and almost 4 foot across with many trunks at the base. Truly a statement plant!

    Reply
  12. Ott, A. says

    July 20, 2010 at 11:09 pm

    Beautiful! Have you seen any butterflies land on them yet??
    a Latte with Ott, A

    Reply
  13. Jami@ An Oregon Cottage says

    July 21, 2010 at 12:22 am

    I've got two of these, but I feel a little guilty about it because they've been declared a noxious weed here in Western Oregon. Mine never reseed, though, so I don't feel toooo guilty about it. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing at the TGP!

    Reply
  14. Athena at Minerva's Garden says

    July 20, 2010 at 3:57 pm

    Thank you for sharing this plant with us! I have three butterfly bushes in my garden, and I've noticed that if you can deadhead them, or cut off any dead flowers, they tend to keep reblooming. I have a 'Pink Delight' one, and a lovely light cool shade of lavender one called 'Lochinch' that I really like.

    Reply
  15. Jean says

    July 20, 2010 at 3:15 pm

    Alea, I lost mine this winter. I do love them and need to find a place where they can thrive. The purple color is lovely. Jean

    Reply
  16. Alea says

    July 20, 2010 at 2:32 pm

    Darla, I am going to go take a soft stem cutting today and try rooting it. Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
    • denise says

      July 9, 2019 at 9:03 pm

      When is the best time to take the cuttings for propagation? Also, is it possible to divide the bush if it gets too big and move some roots to a new location? I presume that is safest done during winter dormancy?? Has anyone transplanted a large bush and not lost the whole bush? It’s hard to see where the outer shoots are in the winter as mine dies back to the ground. It is so large now and very crowded with other plants. Thanks

      Reply
  17. Suzanne says

    July 20, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    They sound like the perfect plant — one you can ignore and enjoy!

    Reply
  18. perennialgardener says

    July 20, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    I love that shade of purple, the only plant I have has a white bloom. 🙂

    Reply
    • Garden guy says

      March 21, 2018 at 9:57 pm

      I have a rainbow butterfly bush its my favorite but its kinda struggling right now because of the harsh winter

      Reply
  19. Sandy says

    July 20, 2010 at 9:58 am

    I love the name of your blog.. "determined".. sounds like me! I have been trying to get my garden off to a good start.. but it rains so much in the afternoons here.. (rainy season in summer).. all the plants get steamed!
    SoFlorida is a killer!
    Nice blog
    Sandy
    [email protected]

    Reply
  20. Zoey says

    July 20, 2010 at 9:42 am

    I love them, too. Mine has not yet bloomed, but when it does, I will be out everyday checking to what butterflies are on it.

    Reply
  21. Darla says

    July 20, 2010 at 9:06 am

    Oh and the root from soft stem cuttings very easily. I too, love mine.

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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