Live butterflies love nothing so much as a butterfly bush. In fact, if you are keen on raising butterflies and you want to cultivate a garden space to which butterflies flock like – well, like moths to a candle – you can do a lot worse than add a butterfly bush or two to your live butterfly garden.
Butterfly bushes are members of the figwort family – they are flowering plants that come in numerous varieties and tend to fare best in warmer climates. You can find butterfly bushes with blossoms in just about every color of the rainbow – red, blue, green, yellow and even white.
They are referred to as butterfly bushes for the simple reason that they are rich in nectar. This, of course, is the heart and soul of the butterfly diet. You can tell how succulent they are from the butterfly’s perspective because of the strong odor that emanates from the flowers. If you can catch the drift, then it literally sends butterflies over the edge.
Keep in mind that your butterfly bush will be attractive to species above and beyond simply butterflies. For example, bees are likely to spend a lot of time in your garden, nuzzling your butterfly bushes. Moths will show up on a regular basis as well. And if you are lucky – and if you have some bushes that are sporting bright red flowers – you might see a hummingbird or two.
None of those visitors by the way are bad for your garden. In fact, quite the contrary. They are likely to bring your garden to a greater state of fruition and growth.
Given the plant’s usefulness in gardens and for butterfly gardeners in particular, it has undergone a fair amount of breeding over the past decade or so. As a result, there are commercial variations of the plant which thrive in diverse soils and climates and are readily available in local garden supply shops.
They are hardy plants by nature but don’t neglect them. If the rain is slacking off, give them a healthy dose of water, especially right after you have replanted them. Keep your pruning shears on hand and give them a good trim on a regular basis. This is a plant which seems to thrive with the right balance of care and attention and benign neglect.
And of course, once you have a thriving butterfly bush, keep your eyes peeled – those beautiful hungry butterflies are not far behind!
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