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shrub like butterfly bush???

15 years ago

Hi,

I see a lot of shrubs in the areas I live looking like butterfly bush. The flowers of them form like those of butterfly bush, forming clusters and fatter than those of butterfly bush. The leaves of them are more round than pointed butterfly bush's. The color of the leaves are darker than those of butterfly bush. Can anybody tell me what they are? Thanks

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Comments (7)

Iris GW
15 years ago
You don't say what color the flowers are (butterfly bush itself is white, pink, purple, even yellow), but it could be Vitex agnus-castus, also known as Chastetree.

Here is a link that might be useful: A sample picture
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ego45
15 years ago
Spirea billiardii could be easily mistaken for pink- flowering BB.
Check the link below for current discussion and a lot of pictures

Here is a link that might be useful: S.billiardii
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I ordered and planted 'Adonis Blue' in my garden last year. It only grew about 2' tall, and it was very thin, too. It never really had a chance, though, because my huge 'Sonset' lantana grows next to it, and it grew right over it pretty early in the season. I just recently transplanted the butterfly bush to a bed where it'll have plenty of room, so hopefully it'll be able to grow to its fullest this year. I think it really is a dwarf, though, because my other butterfly bushes grow to 9' or more each year even when they're close to other vigorous plants. I hope 'Adonis Blue' grows to a reasonable size this year, because I just LOVED the color of the blooms - they were a stunning shade of royal blue! Sherry
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Thanks to all who responded to my butterfly bush concern. I'm thinking that it could have been nipped by some recent cool temps. Also, I'm wondering if the unusually dry conditions for this time of year could have anything to do with the stunted and dried-up appearance of the leaves. In PA we only had .25 inches of rain in March, and were already at a deficit before that. The ground around my place looks more like mid-July after a heat wave than typical early spring - when it is usually more wet during Feb and March. Having had no snow cover will, I believe, make for brutal growing conditions this summer. I will certainly see what happens during the next few weeks. Ken - I believe you are absolutely right - under 'normal' conditions, there really shouldn't be any growth on that bush yet until mid-May. A few more months will tell the tale I suppose. Regards, Keith
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You won't be able to get rid of all wasps, there are too many types which live under too many conditions - in the ground, trees, mud nests, etc. Good news is wasps also eat insects you don't want like widow spiders. Some birds eat wasps - but birds will also eat your caterpillars. A lot of things will eat caterpillars. Cocoons are also eaten by ants, wasps, bugs of all sorts. Swallowtails lay a lot of eggs to make sure some survive. Your best bet for getting swallowtail butterflies is to plant an area with fennel and parsley where the butterflies can lay eggs. It will look like heck so not "front of the border" material. Caterpillars are eating machines so be sure to supply a few plants, not just one or two. If you add some passion vine, which grows wild in GA, you'll have Gulf Fritillary also. Just leave the area be and it will happen. Some larvae will be eaten but many will survive. Last year I grew passion vine through a large butterfly bush with fennel tucked around the base and had a lot of fritillary and swallowtails. Passion vine will not smother a food source shrub like butterfly bush. Very little effort, great results. I used to raise butterflies in huge screen boxes, but that's probably a bit much for most people. Fortunately I spend enough time alone that I don't have people around me to clarify exactly how strange I can be.
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chueh
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for your helps. Most of time, the flowers are red, and some dark pink. The leaves are much rounder and shorter
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Iris GW
15 years ago
cheuh, is this plant blooming right now, this mystery shrub? You are not thinking about crape myrtle, are you?
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newskye
15 years ago
What about some sort of hebe? There are so many varieties of those, from large to small, and I know of one in my neighborhood that looks rather like a less-leggy butterfly bush. I have one that flowers white, myself, but I've seen purple too. The leaves can be short and rounded, but one key feature is that the leaves line up in neat rows along the branches... I'm not sure how to describe it better, but if you look for that quality and it doesn't jump out at you then it's probably not it :)
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leslies
15 years ago
Crape myrtle is my bet, too. Blooming now, magenta or pink panicles. chueh, this plant, unlike buddleia, can get to be the size of small tree with beautiful wood. Some people cut the lower branches off to expose the lovely trunks.
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Embothrium
15 years ago
>this plant, unlike buddleia, can get to be the size of small treeA crape myrtle at Wolfsnare Plantation, VA grew 60' tall.

Some Buddleja davidii reach 20' in height.
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