Butterfly bush or lilac or ?

17 years ago

New to gardening (new house). I have a corner area created by my deck and want to fill the area, which is about 8ft x 8ft with something and was thinking Butterfly Bush or lilac. I would like something fast growing that can handle full sun and will fill up the space. I'm southern NJ and Zone 6. I'm open to any suggestion for the area. I consider myself a "prolific garderner" and just love to have all sorts of things growing and wildlife. I would like to fill in the area quickly since its currently bare.

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
a lilac.. will fill the space and continue another 10 feet over the years.. unless there are dwarf varieties ... it is more of a field plant.... than to fill a finite space ... research whether a daphne would work for your zone ... they fragrance of it would put a lilac to shame ...

most things.. the faster they grow.. the faster they die ... so i wouldnt make speed of growth, the determative factor ....

something like a fast tall perennial/annual ... can fill the space ..... while a smaller bush grows into the space.. like hollyhocks, as one choice ... or some such thing ... perhaps a post to the perennial/annual forum will help .... it sounds like you are an experimenter.. so live your dreams ...

good luck .. ken
terryr
17 years ago
If you're going for wildlife, then why not a Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) or a Maple Leaf Viburnum
(Viburnum acerifolium). Both loved by the wildlife. There's also an Attracting Wildlife forum, you could go there and ask for opinions.
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philipw2
17 years ago
Lilac blooms once, and may do so at a time that is not particularly hospitable to sitting out on the deck, depending on the variety you get. Once it has bloomed its isn't the most attractive bush and at least in our part of the mid-Atlantic prone to leaf-disfiguring diseases.

The butterfly bush, by contrast blooms, most of the summer, but its foliage is weedy for close up. Attracts a lot of butterflies, bees and wasps.

Consider chaste tree (Vitex) attractive summer foliage and spikes of color in the middle of the summer. It will get that big, if you let it, but is easy to keep smaller. (Cold winters will keep it small by "pruning" it for you.) Sadly its scent is a negative.

8 X 8! why plant Just one thing? That is enough space for 1 biggish bush and several smaller shrubs that would let you trade off bloom times, foliage and other things. So you could have a viburnum for spring scent and summer flowering caryopteris, which in my garden attracts many moths and butterflies.

In a public park I saw a white butterfly bush surrounded by Gaura (a perennial) called whirling butterflies. The whole effect was quite nice. Gaura here bloom all summer.
reginacw
17 years ago
I love rose of sharon. Blooms all summer. Properly pruned it's stunning. No scent though.

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Butterfly bush or lilac or ?

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

terryr

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philipw2

reginacw

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