If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, you are well advised to use the butterfly bush. In addition, it convinces with a low maintenance effort.
The blooming butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is an ornament. The easy-care and fast-growing plants are also suitable for small gardens and enrich them with their abundance of flowers.
Summer in the garden is accompanied by the sweet scent of the blossom panicles and numerous butterflies cavort on the distinctive trees. The Buddleia is attractive in isolation, but is also appealing when planted as a hedge.
Special features of the butterfly bush
About 100 species of the butterfly bush are known worldwide. The summer lilac comes from sunny areas of America, Asia and Africa. Since most species come from tropical and subtropical areas, they are not hardy in our latitudes.
Despite the unmistakable similarity to the common lilac in our front gardens, there is no botanical relationship. The Buddleia is subordinate to the olive tree family.
Is the butterfly bush poisonous?
When you watch the butterflies on the buddleia, no one will think that it could be a poisonous plant. In fact, all parts of the summer lilac are poisonous to humans and animals.
The seeds and leaves contain most of the toxins. Plant parts that have been cut off belong in the compost and should not be fed to animals. Symptoms of poisoning such as headaches and nausea can occur in humans after consumption.
Plant butterfly bushes
Ideal location for the Buddleia
As a desert dweller, the Buddleia is grateful for a sunny location. The blooming exotics also tolerate the direct midday sun. And the robust plants will not wither even in semi-shade.
In the shade, however, the plant often fails to bloom at all and only grows to a limited extent. A few hours of sun in the mornings and evenings should helpBuddleia are therefore granted at least.
Suitable substrate for the Buddleia
In terms of soil, the plants are not spoiled, as they thrive even in barren desert landscapes. Conventional garden soil is perfectly adequate for the buddleia.
The plants also grow on sandy subsoil, which may be upgraded with compost and potting soil. A well-drained soil with a rather low nutrient content is ideal for the Buddleia.
A drainage system made of gravel or lava granulate protects against waterlogging. Gravel and sand also loosen the soil so that the water can seep away better.
Planting butterfly bushes - step by step
1. Select location
2. Prepare soil
3. Dig plant hole
4. Water plant beforehand
5. Create drainage
6. Insert plant7. Fill up the substrate
8. Press the soil well
9. Water the plant
Butterfly lilac can be planted between February and September. So that the plants can gather enough strength for the first winter, it is advisable to wait until May in harsh locations.
You can also cultivate the summer lilac in a bucket. The planter should have a diameter of at least 70 centimeters and be chosen at this height. It is particularly important that you put a drainage layer in the bottom of the container to prevent waterlogging.
Tip: Potted plants need more nutrients than outdoors. High-quality potting soil should be used, which can be mixed with compost or horn shavings.
Transplanting butterfly bushes
It may be necessary to replant the butterfly bush. The best time for this is early summer.
Warning: If roots are lost during transplanting, the plants quickly suffer from a lack of moisture and should therefore be cut back.
Step by step instructions
1. Prune the plant by about a third
2. Tie shoots together
3. Dig a trench around the plant
4. Loosen the root ball
5. Carefully lift the plant out
6. Replant the plant in a new location
7. Water the plant generously
Good to know:
The butterfly bush is often criticized as an invasive neophyte, in Switzerland the shrub is even on the black list . Invasive neophytes proliferate and crowd outsometimes other plants - but this applies mainly to open spaces. Anyone who has planted the butterfly bush in the garden can keep the spread under control through regular pruning and appropriate care.
Butterfly Lilac Care
Water the butterfly bush properly
If you have just planted the summer lilac, it needs a relatively large amount of moisture. Larger quantities are recommended rather than several small portions. The Buddleia can tolerate about ten liters of water at weekly intervals.
The final amount of water depends on the outside temperature and the amount of precipitation that has fallen. Water mainly in the morning and evening hours and only water the root area.
Fertilize butterfly bush
If the butterfly bush is given a complete fertilizer in spring, it is not necessary to fertilize it in addition. Compost, horn meal and horn shavings serve as a full natural fertilizer.
Overview of planting and care tips
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Select Location | • Sun to partial shade • Warm to full sun • Protected |
| Prepare the ground | • normal garden soil • sandy soil • loose • permeable |
| Casting | • after planting regularly • later sporadically during drought |
| Fertilize | • in spring complete fertilizer • during flowering |
Pruning Butterfly Lilac
The pruning of the butterfly bush follows a simple rule and therefore does not pose any major problems for the hobby gardener. Around the end of March, it is cut back to about half a meter. You can even shorten smaller varieties to 20 centimeters.
If pruning is neglected, there is a risk of balding in the lower area and significantly fewer flowers will be formed.
Tip: A shape cut is also possible in autumn.
Propagating butterfly bushes
You can use cuttings to propagate the butterfly bush by type. This can also be easily mastered by laypeople.
Proceed as follows:
- Take cuttings from young, semi-lignified shoots in midsummer
- Cut the cuttings to a length of 15 centimeters
- Remove leaves, leaving only the top two pairs of leaves
- Cut leaves in half
- Cuttings inUse plant pots with potting soil
- Keep the plant pot evenly moist
- Plant pot with a plastic cover
- Place the plant pot bright and warm
- Air cover daily
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If the first shoots appear on the cutting, the plant pots can be removed. The young summer lilac should be allowed to spend the first winter in the house. It is planted out the following spring.
Tip: If you don't insist on varietal purity and love surprises, you can sow seeds you have bought or collected yourself and maybe look forward to a new variety of butterfly bush.
Recognize diseases on butterfly bushes
The butterfly bush is robust and hardly affected by diseases. In summer, the plants can be attacked by spider mites or aphids. Depending on location and site, powdery mildew can also occur.
Hobby gardeners usually do not have to intervene, because strong and he althy plants can deal with the pest infestation themselves. In addition, the Buddleia is visited by enough natural predators.
Butterfly Lilac Overwinter
The summer lilac usually survives the winter in our latitudes without damage. In spring, late frosts could be dangerous for the plants. Winter protection from leaves or twigs is recommended in harsh locations.
Potted plants should have a frost-free winter quarters indoors or placed on a wooden or polystyrene base on the balcony or terrace and protected with thermal fleece.
An overview of pretty varieties of Buddleia
| Type | Special Features |
|---|---|
| Royal Red | • red fragrant flowers • butterfly friendly |
| Pink Delight | • dark pink osmanthus flowers • tolerates heat well |
| Black Knight | • darkest species • compatible with butterflies |
| Peace | • white • undemanding |
| Buzz | • new breed • dwarf form |