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bandjzmom

Butterfly Bushes..Your Personal Favorites?

bandjzmom
13 years ago

Ok, I am sure that this subject has probably been covered here before at some time. If so, forgive me, and participate only if you'd like. I adore butterfly bushes, and they reign supreme here at my house in terms of butterfly attraction and attention. I'd like to know which varieties are your favorites. Please name 3 favorites (that you already own), starting with your most favorite at #1. I have 7 or 8 different varieties in my yard. My favorites of those that I have are:

1. Sungold

2. Pink Delight

3. Royal Red

Comments (20)

  • runmede
    13 years ago

    1. Attraction
    2. Pink Profusion
    3. White Profusion

  • MissSherry
    13 years ago

    1. Ellen's Blue
    2. White Profusion

    Sherry

  • susanlynne48
    13 years ago

    I only have one right now and it is:

    1. Bicolor

    I love the colors on it, and the butterflies love it, too.....but I lust after MissSherry's 'Ellen's Blue'. You should see her photos of it! Magnificent!

    Susan

  • bandjzmom
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hey, can someone tell me if Rainbow and Bi-color are two different bushes? My friend gave me a little bush this Spring which she was sure was a Rainbow. Now, I'm not sure about it. You can take a look and see what you think.

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • MissSherry
    13 years ago

    Yours looks like a regular light purple one to me, but then I'm not familiar enough with them to know for sure.
    Here's a picture of a red admiral on Ellen's Blue -
    {{gwi:456818}}
    Sherry

  • tiffy_z5_6_can
    13 years ago

    A lot of the Buddleias which you all name sometimes last for only a couple of years in my zone 5, but I LOVE my plain old purples!! I am starting to surround them with tall Goldenrods and the show should be spectacular next year. Today the Red Admirals were covering them. :O)

  • fairfieldcircle
    13 years ago

    Regarding Rainbow/bicolor~~sometimes if a plant is patented and yet propagated (but not licensed to do so) by a nursery they don't sell it under the 'brand name' but rather some generic name. That could be the case with 'bicolor'. I have a bicolor too and the butterflies seem to like it.

    Also 'Royal Red' is well liked. I have Ellen's but don't see much activity on it...I wonder why.

    I buy the newer hybrids in hopes that they are more sterile and won't reseed to eliminate issues with invasiveness.

    My goldenrods are coming into bloom too and they are next to a buddliea.

  • kr222
    13 years ago

    1. Pink Delight
    2. Royal Red
    3. Adonis Blue
    Kim

    Here is a link that might be useful: Kim's Garden

  • mbhoneybee63
    13 years ago

    The only 2 varieties I have (as of this year) is Black Knight and Pink Delight. Although the PD gets attention the BK is the reigning king! I will be looking into everyone elses favorites since I didn't know a couple of them exsisted until now! Thanks for feeding my "addiction"!
    Melissa

  • susanlynne48
    13 years ago

    Here's a link to a photo of 'Bicolor'. It has some yellow/gold in it because it is said to be a Dr. Michael Dirr selection out of Buddleia 'Honeycomb' a yellow flowering butterfly bush.

    MissSherry, I still marvel at the beauty of Ellen's Blue. I think it was the first actual "blue" butterfly bush????

    Susan

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:534846}}

  • weed30 St. Louis
    13 years ago

    What is the smallest variety? I don't have a huge yard.

  • bandjzmom
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Wow Sherry, Ellen's Blue is gorgeous!! I want that one! I have never seen such a blue one. Hey, I just came across one called a "Fountain Butterfly Bush." I've never seen such a thing. Anyone have this one?
    http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/budalternifolia.htm

    Is the Adonis as blue as the Ellen's? My least fav is probably my Nanho Blue.

  • MissSherry
    13 years ago

    I had an Adonis Blue, which was the most beautiful shade of DARK blue, almost navy blue. Unfortunately, it wouldn't grow for me, never getting more than about 1' tall - it got overgrown by my Sonset lantana and died. I've thought about replanting it, if I could find a spot in a raised bed where it would get no competition. Still, most butterfly bushes are vigorous enough to make a place for themselves. Ellen's Blue isn't as dark, but it's very vigorous, without being HUGE like Royal Red and some others, so I love it.
    Like I said, I'd like to try Adonis Blue again, though. The color of those flowers - what few I got - was to die for!
    Sherry

  • tracey_nj6
    13 years ago

    1. Pink Delight
    2. Royal Red
    3. A 14yo tricolor from Michigan Bulb that is now only white.

  • bob_71
    13 years ago

    For: weed30...I grow a very nice small one called WHITE BALL. The name derives from the shape of the bush, not from the shape of the blooms. It is a white that is constantly in bloom (if dead-headed). It is advertised at 3' x 3' when fully grown. I ordered mine as a small, recently rooted plant this spring, so it is in it's first year of growth. Mine has reached about 18" x 18" this year. The plant is a densely branched and foliaged specimen in my garden. The attached photo shows it this past week. It has been quite effective in attracting butterflies of all types but the larger butterflies seem to be more drawn to my other larger bushes. There is also available a smaller buddleia named BLUE CHIP that tops out at 20" x 20". I don't grow that one. The majority of the bushes recommended by the others on this post, usually top out at 6'-7'.


    This is potted and grown in a 15 gallon pot.
    {{gwi:534847}}

  • bandjzmom
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Gosh Bob, those pics are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing them. I have a fairly green thumb and don't normally have much trouble keeping anything alive, but the Blue Chip that my sister bought for me ($26) was the exception. She got two of them for herself and one for me. They were all in large pots, and they all died. I have another friend who has a very very green thumb, and hers died as well. So, I am not recommending Blue Chip at all.

  • MissSherry
    13 years ago

    I just LOVE that Miss Ruby, Bob!!
    That may be my next one.
    Sherry

  • imabirdnut
    13 years ago

    Attraction is the #1 choice here
    Then my Rainbow---Bi-color---are these indeed the same?
    then the purples.
    I wanted a blue BF bush & purchased 2 Lo & Behold "Blue Chips" & they both died! Lucklily I purchased them from a garden center that had a 1 year warranty on their plants!

    I would like the best true blue...Adonis or Ellen's??? Which is bluer? Which is more compact?

  • bandjzmom
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Ok then, we have a 3 way tie. The equally favored (3 votes each) bushes among those who replied are:

    Royal Red
    Pink Delight
    White Profusion

    Coming in 2nd with 2 votes each are:

    Attraction
    Bicolor

    *Thanks for your contributions!

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