2 Bicolor Butterfly Bushes, Kaleidoscope Butterfly Bush, 6-10 inch starter plant.3 Native Flowering Shrubs to Replace Butterfly BushThe first butterfly bush to offer different colors on one panicle, this beautiful rainbow butterfly bush boasts masses of lavender, butterscotch-yellow and orange star-like blooms, blending together to form a striking color display.

Butterfly bush or Buddleja davidii may look beautiful in yourВ yardВ and itвЂ™s nectar will attract adult butterflies but it wonвЂ™t create a sustainable habitat for butterflies or other species in your yard. The shrub is actually considered to be invasive, meaning it competes with the native plants in the area and will continue to spread and be harmful to the local eco-system. Kaleidoscope Butterfly Bush Multicolored, Honey-Scented Blooms. The first butterfly bush to offer different colors on one panicle, this beautiful rainbow butterfly bush boasts masses of lavender, butterscotch-yellow and orange star-like blooms, blending together to form a striking color display. Plant near a bench, window or walkway to enjoy.

With no acceptable habitat for butterfly reproduction or leaves for their offspring to feed on, donвЂ™t expect to see a thriving butterfly community with only butterfly bush in your yard. To achieve a thriving butterfly community in your yard it is important to include plants that produce nectar and attract adult butterflies as well as and plants that are larval hosts for their offspring.The good news is that there are plenty of replacements for butterfly bush and below you can find 3 of our favorites and as always theyвЂ™re native!Here are 3 of our favorite native plant replacements for butterfly bush.This beautiful shrub has fragrant white or pink flower spikes in the late summer and will grow in sun, part shade and shade as well as with clay soil. Slenderina Weeping Blue Spruce. Black Knight Butterfly Bush.

The plant tag will tell you the mature size of the cultivar you have chosen. When planted in good quality garden soil, a butterfly bush rarely needs fertilizer.Give your butterfly bush plenty of room. Soil that is constantly wet encourages rot. Choose a sunny or partly shaded area where the soil is well-drained. Butterfly Bush PlantingPlanting a butterfly bush in an optimum location minimizes the time youвЂ™ll spend on maintenance.

This is particularly important in cold climates where the roots need winter protection.The most labor-intensive part of caring for butterfly bushes is deadheading. Cover the root zone with a 2- to 4-inch (5-10 cm.) layer of mulch. Fertilize with a 2-inch (5 cm.) layer of compost over the root zone or scratch in some general-purpose fertilizer if you need to enrich the soil. Water the shrub slowly and deeply during prolonged dry spells so that the soil absorbs the water deep into the root zone.The plants donвЂ™t need fertilization unless grown in poor soil. Check with your local extension office prior to planting to ensure that the plant is permitted in your area.Butterfly bush care is easy. Butterfly bushes grow from 6 to 12 feet (2-4 m.) tall with a spread of 4 to 15 feet (1-4.5 m.).NOTE: Butterfly bush is considered an invasive plant in many regions.

DonвЂ™t be tempted to transplant the seedlings into other parts of the garden. The seedlings should be removed as soon as possible.Young shrubs that are cut off at ground level may re-emerge, so remove the roots along with the top growth. When the pods mature and release their seeds, weedy young plants emerge. Seed pods develop when the flower clusters are left on the plant.

ItвЂ™s best to leave the caterpillars alone unless their feeding activity does substantial damage to the shrub.Japanese beetles sometimes feed on butterfly bushes. In most cases the damage is minimal and you will have to stand close to the shrub to notice it. The symptoms are yellowing leaves, and in severe cases, twig or stem dieback.Any time you grow a plant that attracts butterflies, you can expect caterpillars. Planting the shrub in well-drained soil usually eliminates the chances of root rot. Problems with Butterfly BushesProblems with butterfly bushes include root rot and the occasional caterpillar.

Use traps and handpick the insects, and treat the lawn for grubs, which are the larval form of Japanese beetles.