Dwarf Butterfly Bush Plant Care

The summer lilac does have the name dwarf butterfly bushes. Such a name could be due to its sweet smell and highly attractive flowers that could surely lure butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

These shrubs you find growing throughout North America are a blessing for some gardeners and a curse for others. It is a vigorous grower to use in landscaping, but they are an invasive plant in some states.

What Are Butterfly Bushes?

Botanically known as Buddleia davidii, this species is a fast-growing evergreen perennial shrub that can grow up to 24 inches tall or up to ten feet with an arching shape. The young stem is furry, while the leaves are velvety when touched. The coloration of foliage varies from dark green to silver/gray or grayish-green.

In addition, the blooms range in color from bright red, blue, deep purple, creamy yellow, pink, or white. In early summer into autumn, you’ll notice the blooms attract butterflies, birds, and bees. The flower grows on long spikes forming panicles that are tiny clusters varying in length up to one foot.

However, the rampant growth makes a summer lilac undesirable in certain parts of the United States, where it’s seen as an invasive butterfly bush. This beautiful native of China can be controlled by pruning them to the shape of a fine rounded form when grown as an outdoor plant.

Dwarf Butterfly Bush Care

No matter what environmental conditions you live in, you can grow butterfly bushes. The only thing that will kill the non-invasive butterfly bushes is the lack of sun or soggy soil. Another fantastic thing is developing the dwarf butterfly bushes as indoor plants.

_{Ideal Potting Mix for Butterfly Bushes}

The important thing is to provide your butterfly bushes with moist, fertile, and well-drained soil. We recommend using a nutrient-rich potting medium. Before planting, loosen the ground for drainage to prevent root rot.

_{Lighting Needs for Butterfly Bushes}

Whether you grow butterfly bushes in perennial beds or as dwarf varieties, providing them with full sun is essential. Your plant needs loads of natural light. When planting this herbaceous perennial outdoors, allow them to have at least five feet of space between them.

That would give enough room for light to penetrate.

_{Watering Needs}

Butterfly bushes that are grown outdoors need deep watering during their growing stages. While it has a drought-resistant nature, you still need to provide them with enough water until it’s fully established.

Keep an eye on the soil to prevent the roots from rotting. During early spring to summer, you can water more often. But, when you have rainy days, make sure to check the ground before watering again.

The same applies to the plant grown indoors.

_{Temperature & Humidity}

You can grow summer lilac in your butterfly garden. But, if you live in the USDA hardiness zone 5, the woody shrub can die back to the ground.

In warmer climates from zones 5 to 9, it regrows from the old wood in spring. If you live in cold temperatures below 20°F, it helps to protect them by bringing the pots inside.

The best time to butterfly bushes in zones 5 or 6 is spring to mid-summer as it allows new growth in the root system.

_{Fertilizing Your Butterfly Bush}

Because butterfly bush is an invasive species, you do not want to overfeed it as the leaves become overgrown. Instead, you can provide compost in the soil each spring around its base. This slowly feeds the roots.

You can provide it with mulch about three inches thick to conserve moisture in early spring but keep the mulch away from the stems and crown. You can feed the butterfly bush annually with a pH-balanced fertilizer in spring.

_{Propagation of Summer Lilacs}

Propagating summer lilacs are rare as they spread fast. But the way to do it is by collecting the seeds. Another recommendation is to use branch cuttings in spring with new growth.

In summer, you can take stem cuttings, cut them about six inches long, and dip the cut end into a rooting hormone powder. Place your cutting in a pot with moistened soil. Place your plant in partial sun to ensure new growth.

Alternatively, you can divide them to transplant in early spring or fall. First, you will need to dig up your shrub and separate them into sections with shoots attached.

Pruning and Dead-Heading Butterfly Bush

Pruning butterfly bushes is essential. It needs hard pruning every year in spring. You can remove the previous growing season’s growth, cutting them back to six inches of the old wood.

Another crucial thing is to prune your plant after flower production. Remove old branches and shorten the long shoots. Aside from pruning, deadheading the flowers helps encourage new blooms when you

Also, remember these plants are poisonous. So, it’s best to wear gloves when deadheading flowers or pruning.

Dwarf Butterfly Bush Varieties

_{Butterfly Weed}

The butterfly weed is a plant that many people get confused with the butterfly bush. While both grow fast, the butterfly weed has a flat-topped flower cluster in yellow to orange colors. Furthermore, it matures slowly while producing a lot of blooms compared to butterfly bushes.

_{White Ball}

This butterfly bush is small with a height of three feet bearing white blossom in summer.

_{Nanho Blue}

This variety of butterfly bush grows blue flowers ranging from deep indigo to light mauve.

_{Ellen’s Blue}

The plant stands four feet tall to produce gorgeous violet-blue blooms.

_{Summer Beauty}

The summer lilac grows up to four feet high with beautiful rose-pink blooms.

Dwarf Butterfly Bush Diseases & Pests

During the growth stages of summer lilacs, you may encounter a few problems. As with most vegetation you need to keep an eye out for:

• Nematodes

You can find them plaguing the butterfly bush when grown in sandy soil or swampy conditions leading to root rot.

• Spider mites

If your plant is exposed to drought and high humidity, you will find these critters present.

• Downy mildew

You find this in cold climates when standing outside from dampness and rain for extended periods.

• Caterpillars

As can be expected, the summer lilac attracts butterflies who in turn, in turn, lay their eggs and produce caterpillars later.