One of the best parts about the spring are all the pollinators buzzing around! From bees, butterflies, and moths, nothing brings on pollinators like a mass quantity of flowers. There’s one plant that truly attracts pollinators in zones 9-9b, and that’s Buddleia.It’s also known as Butterfly Bush. Many of the original Buddleia were invasive and dropped thousands of seeds, however new patented varieties are sterile and safe to enjoy in your landscape. This plant has been around for quite some time, but in previous years, struggled with the Florida heat. Thankfully, genetics have helped and there’s new cultivars that can withstand our tough growing conditions. Buddleia enjoy loose, well-drained soil that has consistent light moisture. Fertilizing with a liquid feed a couple times per year will make sure your Buddleia is a standout and showstopper.
This flowering bush has the most amazing fragrance and is a wonderful cut flower be it a short 3-to-4-day vase life. Buddleias have wonderful long cone flowers that keep vivid color on the shrub for a week, but with so many buds on each plant it seems like you get flowers for a month that certainly catch your eye. The constant flurry of pollinator activity around a Buddleia is something you must experience for yourself, it’s a little play that is put on just for you by a cast of volunteer bees, butterflies, and moths. This plant has dense foliage that can be either a lighter shade of green or a grey-silver tone to it. Both are dense and grow quickly. The Home and Garden Magazine look you feel when admiring your Buddleia proudly growing is a pride every gardener should feel. If you let it, Buddleia can grow upwards of 6 feet, but they love to be pruned back a couple times per year. Your best bet is to keep this colorful plant in full sun to light shade in a container or pot. Your Buddleia will require consistency with watering, it doesn’t need a lot of water but needs consistency so a water timer or alarm on your phone is a good idea to keep this showstopper at its peak. Enjoy this beauty on your patio or in your landscape and watch the pollinators come flocking to you!
The Veranda View 