Identification

• Butterfly bushes can be up to 10 feet tall and tend to grow in an arch. The bush produces large quantities of flowers that bloom during summer and can be red, blue, pink, violet, white or yellow. The bush resembles the lilac plant and smells like honey.
  
  

Growing Conditions

• Butterfly bushes are resistant to drought and need full sunlight for optimal growth, though they can grow in partial shade.
  
  

Time Frame

• To assure blooms by summer, plant butterfly bushes in the fall, but you also can plant in early spring.
  
  

History

• The butterfly bush is indigenous to China but was imported to England in the 1700s and has become a common plant in many parts of the world.
  
  

Fun Fact

• According to Spring Meadow Nursery in Groundhaven, Michigan, some growers are developing dwarf varieties of butterfly bushes to control the plant's tendency to spread outward and dominate its area.