This is my Nanho Blue's first full season. I planted it in mid August last year, and I cut it back all the dead branches in early April.
I am a bit disappointed that it is growing in quite leggy.
Is this normal, or is there anything I can do to improve it's bushiness? This is supposed to be one of the more compact varieties.
I should mention that after a spectacular early spring, we've had a max of 2 days of sun this entire month. It's either been raining or cloudy. Mostly rain.
I don't have that particular cultivar, but that looks like a typical growth habit for butterfly bushes. If you check out the pics in Plant Files for Nanho Blue, there are a couple shots that look a lot like yours in terms of growth habit. And although it does stay smaller than some other BB's, it will still get 4-6 ft. There are a couple newer cultivars that stay even smaller--I think 'Blue Chip' was the name of one of them but I'm not positive--something like that might be more what you're really looking for. You can try pruning it and see if you like it any better, but it'll delay your flowers a bit. They do grow fast and they bloom on new growth though you'll get some flowers later in the season.
Thanks, ecrane. I see wee buds just starting on the tips, so I will postpone any pruning.
Maybe I'll expand the garden bed and plant a couple more to get a slightly more dense look.
Sorry--meant to include the Plant Files link for you so you could see the pics that are in there: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/49900/
And here are a couple pics of 'Blue Chip' so you can see if it's more what you were looking for http://www.springmeadownursery.com/article_7.htm
http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/49957/
(I don't know much about the quality of plants from either of these nurseries--if you're thinking of buying one I'd check their ratings in Watchdog...I just wanted to show the pictures and these were a couple of the first ones that came up in a Google search)
Ah, I see what you mean. It is rather wispy. When I purchased it last year, it was in full bloom, and it looked nice and dense. You could say it was an impulse buy. ;-)
Those Blue Chips are quite nice. I'll look into my local nurseries before venturing online. I see that White Flower Farm was selling them but sold out. Nothing at Bluestone (two of of three online nurseries from whom I have ordered).
Thanks!
I think it was just released this year or maybe last--I expect next season you'll find it more places.
