The sun-loving butterfly bush, or buddleia, is well-known for its cone-shaped flower panicles that are vivid pink and purple in color. It’s a mainstay in pollinator gardens since it attracts butterflies. But planting a pollinator garden with only butterfly bush would be like providing a dessert-only feast for pollinators. Alluring, but not what we want.
It’s crucial to balance your garden with additional shrubs and perennials that provide additional benefits for pollinators. Here’s where we get involved! We’ll go over some of our favorite companion plants for butterfly bushes below, along with the reasons they ‘grow’ so well together.
Understanding the preferences of Butterfly Bushes for sunlight, water, and soil conditions makes pairing them easy. Butterfly bushes can flourish in almost any type of garden, although larger flower spikes and deeper foliage color will be supported by well-draining, neutral pH soil with moderate fertility.
Very hot or dry summer months may call for more watering, while well-established plants usually handle brief droughts quite well.
Allow Butterfly Bush enough space to stretch out completely; depending on the cultivar, this may entail a mature width of 6 to 8 feet. Sufficient spacing not only accentuates the elegantly curved stems and blossom tips, but also offers the right quantity of airflow to lessen the likelihood of mildew or other fungal illnesses developing.
Shrubs To Plant With Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bushes look great in traditional cottage garden planting schemes. Classic late-spring bloomers, such as mock orange shrubs and lilacs, make a charming backdrop for Butterfly Bushes’ striking foliage. All three of the shrubs’ open vase shapes can be used to create a continuous informal hedge that looks great in larger yards or along property lines.
When combined with Butterfly Bush, later-blooming deciduous shrubs like Crape Myrtle and Rose of Sharon provide the hedge vertical structure. All of these shrubs have fragrant, long-lasting blooms for cutting and arranging, but they grow in the same conditions as Butterfly Bush.
Perennials To Plant With Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bush looks good with several perennials that like the sun. Most Butterfly Bush species pair well with silvery foliage of woody perennials like Russian sage and catmint. These plants’ many tones of pink, purple, and blue can be utilized to create a peaceful, cozy atmosphere in the yard.
Use lower-growing herbaceous perennials as a groundcover close to Butterfly Bush, such as autumn stonecrop, salvia, and sedum. In addition to keeping Butterfly Bush roots cool, heat-loving sedum effectively suppresses perennial weeds that vie with it for soil moisture. The visual effect is created by the contrast between the colder hues of Butterfly Bush (blues, purple, white, and pink) and the scorching colors of salvias (orange and red).
Annuals To Plant With Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush can be used to grow a wide variety of annuals. If you have an area with immature perennials, consider adding a tough, drought-tolerant groundcover like trailing lantana or portulaca. Before the Butterfly Bush reaches its peak of bloom, early summer will see a splash of color from the plants Firecracker, Salvia, and Strawflower. Select annuals that bloom all season long and don’t require frequent fertilization. Overfertilized Butterfly Bushes grow lanky and may produce fewer flowers.
Best Companion Plants For Butterfly Bush in Containers
This shrub is the main attraction when it comes to container gardening with Butterfly Bush. Select container partners with the ability to act as a spiller or filler. The bigger root system of the butterfly bush requires lots of space and can coexist with plants that have smaller or shallower root systems. The ideal complement is usually annuals or perennials with fibrous roots. Calibrachoa, Verbena, Portulaca, and Sedum come in a variety of colors that can contrast with or accent your Butterfly Bush, and they look fantastic spilling over the side of a big container.
More fertilizer is needed for butterfly bushes grown in pots as opposed to gardens. Prolific foliage and abundant flowering can be encouraged by applying a diluted liquid fertilizer every three to four weeks from April to August.
Plants Not To Grow With Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush does not grow well with perennials or shrubs that need always wet, or even muddy, soil. More shade and nutrients are needed by Hostas, Ferns, Bleeding Hearts, and Hydrangea than by Butterfly Bush. Additionally, butterfly bushes do not thrive behind trees, not even in locations with little sun exposure. Large trees provide too much shade, and the spaces beneath or around them are usually too dry for larger plants to get enough moisture.
Best Plants To Grow With Butterfly Bush
The best companion plants for Butterfly Bush are shrubs and perennials that have similar preferences for full to partially sunny locations, well-draining, fairly fertile soil, and steady hydration. Lower-story plants that accentuate or contrast Butterfly Bush’s foliage and blossoms include both perennials and annuals. Butterfly Bush can be combined with evergreen or deciduous shrubs to make intriguing foundation plantings or unofficial hedge.
A final word on native plants versus butterfly bushes
Take a look at these options before choosing the butterfly bush. These native plants will have a far more beneficial effect on the local butterfly population and the ecology overall.
When it comes to providing support for butterflies, native plants definitely win out over butterfly bushes. The biodiversity of your garden is increased by the native plants, which offer food and shelter to nearby butterflies, other pollinators, and even birds.
For even more native milkweed variety suggestions that are superior than butterfly bushes, see our list. These substitutes not only make a lovely addition to your landscape, but they also significantly help the wildlife in your area.
Butterfly Bush FAQs
What are the risks when growing a butterfly bush?
Aggressively growing and spreading, butterfly bushes frequently outcompete natural species. This may cause ecological disturbance in the area and reduce the amount of food and habitat available to wildlife and beneficial insects.
Can butterfly bushes harm the butterfly populations they attract?
Butterfly bushes don’t operate as host plants for the caterpillar stage of the life cycle of butterflies, despite the fact that their flower spikes might draw adult butterflies. All phases of life require resources for butterfly species. This mismatch may cause butterfly life cycles to be disturbed and may be a factor in the local butterfly population reduction.
What’s the impact of Buddleia davidii on native plants?
Because of its rapid growth and seed production, Buddleia davidii has the ability to outcompete and crowd out native plants. Native ecosystems may be negatively impacted by this.
What are some native alternatives to butterfly bushes?
Native host plants, native flowering plants, and butterfly weed are native substitutes for butterfly bushes that also draw butterflies. These are both host plants for the larvae of the butterflies and a possible food source for the adults.
Why should I choose native plants over butterfly bushes for my pollinator garden?
For other pollinators, songbirds, and other species, as well as for the adult butterflies and their caterpillars, native plants offer food and habitat. They don’t grow invasive or upset regional ecosystems like butterfly bushes do.
Are butterfly bushes bad for all gardens?
Because of their rich purple, pink, or white flower spikes and ability to draw adult butterflies, butterfly bushes can be visually pleasing. However, because of their fast growth and propensity for invasiveness, they should not be used in many gardens, particularly those that are close to natural ecosystems.
Is it difficult to control the spread of butterfly bushes?
Yes, it can be difficult to stop butterfly bushes from spreading. They have the potential to become noxious weeds because of their quick growth and aggressive seed dispersal into natural environments. If you have butterfly bushes, it is advised that you remove the spent flower clusters to stop them from spawning. A single blossom can yield up to 40,000 seeds!
What other issues can arise when you plant butterfly bush?
Butterfly bushes may cause further issues. Because they may grow up to 10 feet tall, they can crowd out and overshadow other plants in the garden, causing them to appear unruly and susceptible to root rot if the soil is poorly drained. It’s crucial to take these possible issues into account before choosing to plant a butterfly bush.