Can butterfly bushes be grown in pots?
Butterfly bushes can grow well in containers, provided the right potting mix and container location. Several dwarf varieties, like the Lo and Behold and Pugster series, are especially sized for container growing since they are slightly more or less than 2 feet high and wide each summer. They prefer conditions on the drier side, and can quickly experience severe root rot in wet soils. They do best in sandier soils, but can be grown in clay soil as well, provided there’s no standing water. When you plant a butterfly bush, you should not add anything to the soil.
What is better to plant than a butterfly bush?
Prairie Princess Ironweed is a fantastic replacement for butterfly bush, with butterflies flocking to its vibrant rosy purple flowers from late summer through fall. The Prairie Princess variety is more compact and fuller than the straight species, with sturdy stems that resist flopping after a heavy rain. But do prune your butterfly bush. Left unpruned, large butterfly bushes can become “second story” plants: their flowers form way up at the top so you can’t enjoy them unless you have a second story window. The warmer your climate, the more you should cut back your butterfly bush each spring.Butterfly bushes are full sun plants. That means they should get at least six hours of bright sun each day. It doesn’t need to come all at once – it can be in chunks throughout the day. In very hot climates, a bit of afternoon shade is permissible.Butterfly bush is very cold hardy and can withstand light freezing temperatures. Even in cold regions, the plant is often killed to the ground, but the roots can stay alive, and the plant will re-sprout in spring when soil temperatures warm up.The average life expectancy of a butterfly bush is 10-20 years. Consequently, once older bushes begin producing fewer flowers, it is time to consider replacing them.
What are the downsides of butterfly bushes?
Butterfly Bush Risks Butterfly bush aggressively spreads to new areas by seeds. Butterfly bush forms dense thickets. It displaces native plants and alters habitat for wildlife. For older varieties of butterfly bush, it can be helpful to deadhead them to keep them from dropping viable seeds and to help quicken or promote rebloom.Butterfly Bush blooms from mid-summer to early fall. Flowers form drooping or upright spikes at the end of branches. The wild-origin species is white-flowered with orange or yellow centers. Varieties bred for the garden are typically purple; or they may have pink, blue, magenta, yellow or maroon blooms.Butterfly bush bloom on new wood so as long as you have plenty of sunlight, you’ll get lots of blooms throughout the summer by pruning in the spring. Butterfly bushes do not need to be pruned every year. In fact, you only need to prune them when they get too large for the space allotted.While beautiful, butterfly bushes, like the summer lilac, are less than ideal plants to have around due to their invasive growth. Butterfly bushes reproduce quickly and can easily smother other native species in your garden.
How to overwinter a potted butterfly bush?
To overwinter a butterfly bush in areas colder than zone 5, dig the shrub up from the ground in late summer or early fall and place it in a container with potting mix. Water it regularly during its transition to the pot and cut back on watering gradually until before the first frost. In very hot climates, a bit of afternoon shade is permissible. Well-drained soil is crucial for a butterfly bush to survive. In other words, they cannot grow in areas that remain wet for any prolonged period of time. They prefer conditions on the drier side, and can quickly experience severe root rot in wet soils.Gently disturb any thick roots before planting. Plant Butterfly Bush in a prepared hole that’s twice the width and depth of its rootball. Press firmly around the plant, to prevent the soil from settling, sinking and potentially collecting excess water.