Butterfly bush how much sun

Thankfully, breeders have been able to develop sterile or nearly-sterile cultivars, often referred to as summer lilac, and those are the ones we will focus on here. Butterfly bush is not known to be toxic to humans or animals, but not to be confused with butterfly weed which is toxic to both. Butterfly bush is a perfect choice for fending off deer in your garden, as it is not on their preferred menu. Butterfly bush is best planted in the spring or fall. If planting in fall, make sure to get them in the ground well before first frost in order to develop a good root system before colder temperatures set in.

Plant in an area with well-drained soil and full sun exposure. The flower color may also be lighter if planted in shade. Dig a hole twice as wide as the container and mix the surrounding soil with compost. The rootball should be level with the surrounding surface. Water thoroughly after planting and regularly through the first growing season. New transplants may take up to six weeks to settle in and get their roots established.

While the honey-scented blooms of the butterfly bush provide nectar for butterflies, it is not a suitable host or food plant for butterfly caterpillars. According to Butterfly Gardener , a publication of the North American Butterfly Association, common food sources for caterpillars include trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials such as:. Food plants such as these should be included in butterfly gardens to support the entire life cycle of your local butterfly population.

For more plants to include, see 25 Butterfly Garden Plants. Grow in average, well-drained soil; does poorly in wet conditions. For best flower color, soil should be slightly acidic to neutral with a pH of 6. Apply a controlled-release fertilizer or thin layer of compost in the spring.

Over-fertilizing can promote an increase in foliage growth at the expense of flower production. In colder climates, a good layer of mulch in winter can help protect the roots. Regular watering during the first growing season is essential to establish a good root system. Once established, plants require only occasional watering and are drought tolerant, although regular watering may be required in extreme heat. There are no serious disease or pest problems that affect these varieties of butterfly bush.

In mild climates, prune larger varieties in late fall or early spring to clean up and maintain shape. In cold climates, treat as perennials, cutting back close to the ground in late winter or early spring. You can enhance the planting site's sun exposure by cutting back overhanging tree branches and thinning out nearby shrubs. For the best growth and flowering, butterfly bushes need moist, well-draining soil.

You can create this by mixing 4 inches of well-aged compost into the top 12 inches of soil before planting your butterfly bush. Compost improves the soil structure and creates the moist, well-draining conditions that helps this plant get established quickly. Unlike more finicky plants, butterfly bushes can grow in both acidic and alkaline soil, so you don't need to adjust the pH.

Butterfly bushes grow quickly and reach their mature size in two years or less. Ensure the planting site for this shrub has adequate space for the plant to reach its full height and width.

Cramped spacing, and the conditions that come with it -- poor air circulation and increased humidity, to name a few -- increase the risk of plant stress and various diseases. It blooms in late spring, forming panicles of white flowers that will eventually fade to pink in summer and to brown by fall.

If left on the shrub, these faded panicles will provide winter interest as well. Besides the flowers, oakleaf hydrangea has gorgeous, exfoliating bark with cinnamon undertones.

The perennial Forget-Me-Nots will thrive in full to part shade. They grow to about twelve inches tall and have small, bright blue, daisy-like blooms with bright yellow centers.

Forget-me-Nots are hardy in zones three through nine and reseed prolifically, so some care might need to be taken to make sure they don't become invasive. Columbines are native North American perennials hardy in zones three through eight that will perform beautifully in a garden that gets about a half day of shade.

They can grow up to three feet tall, depending on the cultivar, and produce elegant blooms in shades of red and pink. Columbines also self-sow readily. Hardy geranium , a perennial, is very different from the annual geraniums which are actually pelargoniums we buy for porch pots or bedding plants.

Hardy Geraniums form low mounds and bloom from spring through fall in white, red, purple, pink, or blue. They will thrive in part shade, and some cultivars do perfectly in full shade. Another bonus is that hardy geraniums tolerate dry soil—a common problem when planting under trees.

They are hardy in zones four through eight. For show-stopping color in the shade garden, coral bells are unbeatable. Recent breeding has produced plants with foliage in just about every color imaginable, from coppery orange to pure black; deep purple to chartreuse.

Coral bells do great in part to full shade and form low mounds of foliage. They also produce flower spikes of delicate, bell-shaped blooms.

Depending on the cultivar, this perennial is hardy in zones three through nine. Astilbes hardy in zones four through nine grow wonderfully in part to full shade, as long as they are in nice, moist soil. It produces feathery plumes in white, pink, purple, peach, or red in late spring through summer.

Astilbe, a perennial, also self-sows readily, but the seedlings are unlikely to look like the original. In a naturalistic, informal setting, this can be a very attractive look.

Bleeding heart is an old-fashioned, absolutely beautiful plant for shade gardens. In spring to early summer, delicate, dangling flowers will appear, looking like rows of heart-shaped lockets. Bleeding Heart blooms in shades of white, pink, purple, and red, and grows up to four feet tall and three feet wide.

It dislikes summer heat, however, and may go dormant if it is allowed to dry out. Not to worry—this perennial will come back just fine in the spring. Bleeding heart thrives in part to full shade in zones two through nine. If it gets sun, morning sun is preferable to afternoon sun, which can be much too hot.

Foxgloves , an annual plant, are great for gardens in zones three through nine that get around four hours of sun per day. They bloom in mid to late summer, producing tall spikes of purple, pink, white, yellow, and red flowers. Foxgloves also reseed readily, so even though they are a biennial or short-lived perennial, they will likely establish themselves as a permanent fixture of the garden.