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> What are Butterfly Bushes
| What
are Butterfly Bushes |
| Butterfly
bushes are perennial shrubs that have brightly colored, lilac-like
blooms. The flowers of butterfly bushes are one to two feet
long and comprised of many, many small blossoms. The blooms
also contain side branches and blossoms as well. After rainfall,
the blooms may be too heavy for the bush to support and will
often droop. |
Butterfly
bushes are one of the most attractive shrubs to butterflies
and bees. These insects will flock straight to butterfly bushes,
ignoring nearly any other plant. Hummingbirds can also favor
the dilute nectar of butterfly bushes. Aside from these desired
insects, butterfly bushes will remain generally pest and disease
free, other than spider mite infestations during times of
drought or stress.
Butterfly
bushes are easy to grow in the home garden. They make excellent
perennial border plants, or can be planted near a patio to
fill the air with a beautiful fragrance during bloom periods.
Many butterfly bushes will tolerate urban pollution and alkaline
soil. Butterfly bushes also perform adequately in spare soil,
but prefer sunny spots with well draining soil.
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| When
planted in a pot with other plants, butterfly bushes will
often grow large and kill the second plants. Being invasive
is natural to butterfly bushes, and this should be understood
before planting any of these beautiful shrubs into a home
garden. It is easy to lose control of them as they spread
rampant through a garden. Butterfly bushes need to be removed
from the soil roots and all if they are to be rid of in a
garden, otherwise they will re-sprout the following year.
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