If You Want To See More Butterflies Flitting About, A Butterfly Bush Is A Must-Have Addition To Your Garden

Melissa - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
Melissa - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Gardeners aren’t the only ones who enjoy gardens. A certain delicate, winged creature appreciates gardens, too. And it happens to be one of nature’s most well-known pollinators–the butterfly.

If you want to see more butterflies flitting about, a butterfly bush is a must-have addition to your garden. Butterfly bushes are fast-growing, with spiked, slender masses of flowers protruding from the ends of branches. Here are five reasons why you should grow a butterfly bush in your garden.

First of all, the shrub’s long, graceful wands of colorful, sweet-smelling blossoms are not just irresistible to butterflies. Butterfly bushes are a popular destination for other pollinators as well, like bees and birds.

The increase in traffic of pollinators will help the rest of your garden thrive, and you’ll have a bountiful harvest.

Secondly, the hardy shrub is drought-tolerant, making them easy to grow for beginner gardeners. They require full sun and well-draining soil and hold up against harsh environmental conditions. The only other thing you need to do is to prune the bush occasionally to keep it neat and healthy.

The third reason you should consider adding a butterfly bush is the varieties and colors they come in. They mainly boast shades of purple and pink, although blue, white, yellow, and orange versions can be found. However, butterflies tend to gravitate more toward the deep purple flowers.

The bushes can grow up to five to twelve feet tall and wide. Dwarf varieties are smaller and usually reach about three feet or so.

Number four, they provide more texture and depth to your garden. Give a butterfly bush a solo spot in your garden and make it the star of the show or incorporate it among the rest of the flowers in your garden.

The clusters of small blooms create a lovely contrast to other plants. You can even try planting them along borders. Butterfly bushes will fit in anywhere!

Melissa – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

And the final reason is that they make wonderful cut flower arrangements. Butterfly bushes won’t mind if you trim off a few stems from them. The cut flowers last a long time and look beautiful in a vase. They will also fill your home with a deliciously sweet aroma.

Plant your butterfly bush in early spring or fall. Also, note that although butterflies like to visit these bushes for their nectar, they are not a viable food source for caterpillars. Butterfly bushes cannot support the full life cycle of butterflies, so consider planting stuff caterpillars can eat, too.

If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe

In 2018, She Went Missing After Getting Her Hair And Nails Done, And 2 Weeks Later, Her Car Was Found Abandoned

Many Of Us Know About The Life Of Thomas Alva Edison, Who Invented Many Life-Changing Things Like The Incandescent Light Bulb, But Do You Know About His Wife?

One Simple Thing You Can Do To Live More Sustainably And Help Fight Climate Change Is To Start Composting

She Bought Her Dad $600 Concert Tickets As A Birthday Gift, But Her Dad Asked Her To Return Them, And She Feels Heartbroken

She Ditched Her Friend At A Mexican Restaurant After She Made A Big Scene Over Finding A Bay Leaf In Their Nachos

He’s Talking About When He Used To Use A Ouija Board In The Bronx And The Creepy Experiences He Had

His Adopted Parrot Has Been Insulting His In-Laws, And Now He’s Expected To Find His Parrot A New Home To Keep The Peace

Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.

Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

More About: