Butterfly Bush Questions (Buddleja)

10 years ago

Hi everyone I was hoping you all could answer a couple questions for me about Buddleja.

I have seen pictures of the plant as a 3 in 1 where there is 3 different colors of flowers coming out of the bush. Is this a specific cultivar or is this achieved by planting 3 plants together?

What is the average spread of a butterfly bush?

Thanks for your help.

Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
hi

newb .. right???

i am not up to speed on B's ..

but genetically speaking.. a plant can only have one color flower ... so i would suspect that there are 3 plants in that container ... PRESUMING ... those arent cut flowers for a pic ... [as there is something weird how the green leaves dont all face the sun in the same direction .. perhaps an indication of cuttings.. rather than plants]

the plants seem rather small for what little i know about B's ... but maybe there are some newer dwarfs???

now.. that said ... there are some flowers... that open one color.. and can fade to other colors ... but i dont see that in this pic ...

one that comes to mind.. for example .... is a rose.. which opens cream ... and then blushes to pink and then red with age ... Double Delight by name.. see link ... and OMG.. if you can only grow one rose.. this be it... besides the incredible colors.. its scent is to die for.. but i digress ... [oh.. and this one involves two colors... your pic implies a third color ... and i simply know of no plant that changes over three colors ... ]

just a short lesson for a newb ... i hope someone rolls thru with a specific answer to your B question ...

ken

ps: B's can and should be heavily cut back once a year ... so to ask what the average spread is.... depends if they are properly pruned.. IMHO ....

Here is a link that might be useful: link
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 years ago
The only way to get several colours on one bush would be to graft different cultivars together or plant three bushes in one pot. I'm afraid the illustration you have found is a great example of the kind of unrealistic image posted by less scrupulous sellers to fool the punters. Firstly, those colours have been manipulated to an impossible brightness. Secondly, the bush is far too small and compact. To me it looks like a bunch of cut off branches which have been shoved into a planter for the photo. Buddlejas can be huge shrubs 15 feet tall and wide or there are compact cultivars around 3 x 3. They are also usually pruned heavily to promote blossom. Unpruned they can be scruffy looking plants. This site has more realistic pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: 3 in 1 Buddleja
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wayne_z5_ia
10 years ago
Hi ,Ashlie,
I,m surprised that some companies still try to fool us into thinking that these are actually three colors on the same plant. I was one of the gullible ones when I first started gardening. When the plants came and I went to plant them, it was apparent that it was 3 separate plants. The same thing is probably true of the 3 in 1 hydrangea plants that they sell.There are new buddleja that are supposed to get only 3 to 4 ft tall. One is Miss Molly that I purchased last year. It was a blooming machine that was still blooming full at frost.It was a deep,deep pink (almost magenta) in color

wayne
Ashlie Neevel
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for your guys' responses. I figured it was too good to be true lol. I think these plants are pretty but I have a very small garden and there is defnintely no place for a 15ftx15ft plant lol.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
there is definitely no place for a 15ftx15ft plant lol.

===>>> very frankly ... no shrub ever stops growing ...

if you want them small... you learn how to properly rejuvenate prune them ... removing 1/3 per year .. forever ...

do NOT .. EVER.. think a tree/shrub/conifer.. ever stops growing ... at some mystical height ....

the simple idea.. is that each have an annual growth rate... at which it will grow.. nearly forever..

one version might grow two feet per yer ... a dwarf.. one foot per year... it being a dwarf of momma ... and a mini [in the conifer world] will grow maybe one inch...

but given decades... even one with a one inch growth rate.. will get big ...

looking again.. at your pic.. the flowers are plus 12 inches.. and all the new green shoots lok to be over 1.5 feet long ... if that is correct.. then it will not stay... under 3 feet ...

ken

ps: whats a punter... lol ... probably some british/Australian slur... lol ...
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 years ago
If you still want Buddleja, research the Buzz series. I know nothing about them but they are supposed to be dwarf. Anyone here tried them?
Ashlie Neevel
Original Author
10 years ago
I have no Idea what a punter is. I've never heard that before.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 years ago
English definition of Ã¢ÂÂpunterÃ¢ÂÂ punter
noun (CUSTOMER) /ÃÂpÃÂn.tÃÂr/ US /-tÃÂ¬ÃÂ/

UK informal a customer; a user of services or buyer of goods:

Many hotels are offering discounts in an attempt to attract punters/pull in the punters.
gardenweed_z6a
10 years ago
You've received good information from the above posters. FWIW, my own Buddleia/butterfly bushes were grown from seed via winter sowing. Seed germination appeared to be nearly 100% so the seeds on the cultivar B. davidii. 'Black Knight' at least are viable.

My winter sown plants are growing in full sun as well as part sun and have, since 2010, achieved a height of not more than 7 ft. each season. I prune them in March every year, cutting the stems down to 10 inches or less. The spread of each is not more than 5 ft.

A named cultivar will seldom have blooms of more than one color which would suggest some computer-enhanced view of the buddleia in your photo. Since my own plants were grown from seed, the blooms are all consistently, uniformly lavender but no less attractive to pollinators from what I've observed.

More important in my view & experience is that Buddleia is not bothered by any pests and needs no supplemental nutrients or moisture in order to thrive in my garden beds. I especially appreciate "plant it, enjoy it, forget it" perennials.
Ashlie Neevel
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks UK for the definition.

Thank you gardenweed also for your reply. I appreciate all the input.