This species isn't long-lived (usually under 10 years). Hard pruning (to 6") annually in early spring helps it renew itself and improves ...Read Morebloom.
All B. davdii cultivars require weekly deadheading for them to look and bloom its best.
Butterfly bushes may be good nectar sources for adult butterflies, but they are not food sources for the caterpillars of any Lepidoptera native to the continental US.
In some places, B. davidii can be an invasive weed: England, France, New Zealand, and the states of Oregon and Washington. It has naturalized in eastern N. America but is not considered invasive there. Recent cultivars are usually selected for dramatically reduced fertility.This species has naturalized along the west coast of N. America from BC to Califolia, and also in 17 eastern states.
This bush was already planted here when I moved in, but in the 5 years since, it has become more like a tree than a bush. Albuquerque is...Read More very dry, so I water it regularly, with drip irrigation. It doesn't get overwatered that way, but it gets a regular amount. It has 4 emitters, and the emitter size is 3 gal./hr. The system comes on every other day, for 10 minutes, and the tree (bush) is doing just beautifully. It really is the showpiece of my small front yard, and it smells heavenly. It comes out fairly late in the spring, so each year I have a bit of anxiety that it is not doing anything yet, but by late May it starts to come on strong. It is now the end of June, and it is covered with blooms. It is growing in well drained (rocky) soil, and seems to do best without any fertilizer. It is very easy to grow and yet is so beautiful, I don't wonder that butterflies, hummingbirds, honey bees, and birds, all love it too.
This species isn't long-lived (usually under 10 years). Hard pruning (to 6") annually in early spring helps it renew itself and improves ...Read More
This bush was already planted here when I moved in, but in the 5 years since, it has become more like a tree than a bush. Albuquerque is...Read More