Butterfly Bush

Butterfly Bush is clearly a great plant — I can see that from other people's results. Mine has been decent but not spectacular, and I think I know why. I underestimated the importance of watering in dry spells in the first two seasons after planting in the early stages and paid for it. box blight a…

I started with one Butterfly Bush and now have four, all from propagation. The process is straightforward once you understand pruning at the right time of year for the specific species — something I picked up from trial and error rather than any guide. I display them in a mixed shrub border providi…

After growing Butterfly Bush for over a year here is what I'd tell a beginner. First: watering in dry spells in the first two seasons after planting is not optional — it's the foundation everything else depends on. Second: failure to flower when pruned at the wrong time will happen and you should k…

I had a serious problem with box blight and box moth caterpillar on Buxus species on my Butterfly Bush earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational. Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate multi-season inte…

As a complete beginner I was nervous about starting with Butterfly Bush. It turned out to be more forgiving than I expected, as long as I paid attention to mulching around the base annually to feed and retain moisture. I grow mine in a low-maintenance foundation planting around a house which is wor…