Butterfly Bush Encore

WHITE BUTTERFLY BUSH WITH FRAGRANT CONICAL BLOOMS

Although eye-catching, hardy, and seemingly helpful to butterflies and other pollinators,... more

by Mioara Andritoiu

Title

Butterfly Bush Encore

Artist

Mioara Andritoiu

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

WHITE BUTTERFLY BUSH WITH FRAGRANT CONICAL BLOOMS

Although eye-catching, hardy, and seemingly helpful to butterflies and other pollinators, Butterfly Bush is far from beneficial; in fact it’s actually an invasive species that can impair the health of our local ecosystems.

The wild-origin species is white-flowered with orange or yellow centers. Varieties bred for the garden are typically purple; or they may have pink, blue, magenta, yellow or maroon blooms.

Butterfly Bush is extremely successful at reproduction - over 40,000 seeds on a single flower spike. The germination rate is about 80 percent or above. These seeds can remain viable for three to five years in soil, and any cut stems can sprout again.

If Butterfly Bush were just a pretty garden shrub, it would be less of a concern. But its high reproductive success and dispersal means that Butterfly Bush replaces native shrubs outside the garden, in natural areas.

Butterfly Bush benefits pollinators but only at one stage of their life cycle. It attracts butterflies because it provides copious nectar. However, butterflies need host plants on which to lay eggs and on which their caterpillars feed. Not a single native caterpillar eats Butterfly Bush leaves.

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©️ Mioara Andritoiu All Rights Reserved
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Uploaded

June 27th, 2016