Miss Sherry,

I'm gonna let you sample this one! I have already ordered the ATTRACTION, ELLEN'S Blue and an AGASTACHE along with a few Echinacea's. Let me know how it does and how well the butterflies like it.

Bob

You'll just LOVE Ellen's Blue, and so will the butterflies, Bob!
I may also order 'Miss Molly' - it's supposed to be a cross between 'Miss Ruby' and 'Attraction' - 'depends on the amount of sunny space I figure I'll have in the garden.
Sherry

Awww I guess it wouldn't be hardy for me. If it's truly orange, it seems like the hummingbirds would be drawn to it as well. Let us know how it does.

Very tempting Miss Sherry! Thanks for pointing it out!

Hi Miss Sherry, I have this one and this will be its second season. So far it has come through the winter still in bloom and a strong magnet for hummers all year long. It has not gotten large enough yet to compete with my larger butterfly bushes and it is not in a position where I can view it as easily as the others from my kitchen window so I can't say if it is as popular with the butterflies. I will be watching carefully this summer but if it thrives and is this useful to the poor hummers thru the winter I may keep it just for them. However, I am hoping it will help the earlier butterflies also. Murray

Good to hear from you, Murray!
I think the few vendors that carry it are all asking too much money for it. So I had thought about waiting until it becomes more common place and, hopefully, cheaper, but if it's still blooming through the winter, that's great! I have an idea it may get too cold here a few times each year and knock back the blooms, but 'Orange Sceptre' sure looks to be worth trying, even at the big price.
Sherry

I was surprised that it did so well thru the winter managing to keep blooming and all because we have had a lot of cold nights this winter that dropped from the mid-20's to low 30's for quite a while but it has kept its leaves and blooms. I am just hoping it is popular with the butterflies and not just a magnet for the hummers, although as I said I would probably keep it just for them even so. I will keep you all posted.

Have you heard anything about the new series called the buzz which comes in violet, magenta and white? I just saw some at a nursery nearby and picked up two of them. They only had the violet but I was intrigued by the claim that they supposedly only get to a height of two to three feet and are suitable for containers the tag claims. I will see. The blooms are supposed to be large also. I will let you know how they turn out also.

I had cataract surgery this past summer and can see well enough now to post again.
Murray

I've never heard of the "buzz" series, Murray - they come up with new series all the time, don't they?
I went through the steps to order my 'Orange Sceptre' from Plant Delights, and with the initial $22 cost, plus tax and shipping and handling, this one bush would cost $40.75! The only other place to order one I could find is Spring Hill or something like that - the butterfly bush was $19 there, but their website reminded me of those nurseries that advertise their plants on the backs of the Sunday paper magazine, you know, the ones that sell oddities, like the "fruit cocktail" bush with peaches, plums and other fruits that grow on one bush! I ordered a few plants from one of those places years ago, and received the most pitiful, little half-dead plants ever!
So I e-mailed Almost Eden, asking them if they were planning to get 'Orange Secptre' and he wrote back that he'd get some and let me know when they were ready for sale. Almost Eden sells their plants at much more reasonable prices than PD, and the plants are of good quality. So I'm waiting on them before I buy it.
They also sell other good buddleias now, like 'Miss Ruby', 'Adonis', 'Royal Red', 'White Profusion' and others. I'll probably also order a 'Miss Ruby' - 'love that color!
Sherry

I have a small orange sceptre from a cutting that is about 10" high.The plant is not looking well. The leaves are curling up and dying and some of the stems appear dead. One stem is showing new small leaves. This is my second plant I have tried. The first one burned up when I planted it in my flower bed. This current one is in a pot on my patio and receives only bright indirect light. I want to plant it but I can't get it healthy enough.Please help.

I ordered 3 Magenta Butterfly Buzz from cottage farms direct.

2 of them look great and are already blooming. A few weeks ago the night time temp dipped to 29 degrees and the third one died. (It was a runt to begin with) Then it sprouted one leaf...and then that fell off.

Did it just "die down for the winter" or is it dead?

I will take a picture of the blooming magenta buzz and post sometime soon. I potted mine and they are only supposed to reach 3 feet max. They are supposedly hardy to zone 3.

The magenta buzz is sold out for the season but the other buzz colors are on sale.

http://www.cottagefarmsdirect.com/GardenShop.aspx?S=0amp;C=320&P=0

Elaine, I am late to your post, but does it have roots? If not, and it's still hanging in there, try first placing a piece of damp long sphagnum moss in bottom of clear cup, then perlite to the top. Dip stem end in rooting hormone and keep barely moist-and I mean barely. Check daily and make sure sphagnum stays damp, but not wet. Keep in a cool location (60 to 75 is perfect) and out of direct sunlight. If it's going to make it, that should do it. I sure hope you were/will be able to save it :)

miss sherry:
i ordered from springhill last year and they were very good. all the plants although not large were healthy and have since grown and preformed nicely. i had a issue w/ a dwarf banana tree coming to me damaged. i called their CS bc of their guarantee. they immediately shipped a replacement w/free shipping & told me to keep the original one & see if it bounced back. it DID. i now have 2.

Hmmmm....thanks for the input, jilliebean! I may just order one from them next year, then. I'd really like to try this one!
Sherry