WHITE BUTTERFLY BUSH Buddleya
The butterfly bush is probably the most loved flowering shrub for butterflies! Each flower cluster is composed of hundreds of tiny pure-white tubular flowers that are loaded with nectar suitable to a huge range of butterflies, moths, and other pollinators! Plants are extremely fragrant, and shrubs are easy to grow once established, and require little care. Unlike many shrubs, these plants will bloom the first season from seed when started early! Plants reach 18" in the first season, and they mature at 5' in the second season.
Type: Shrub
Height: 5'
Location: Sun or part
Hardiness zones: 4-9
Seeds per pack: 10
Germination: As with many perennials, these seeds require a period of moist cold to help them break dormancy. This is done by giving them a cold 'winter' period (artificial or natural), and then a warming to simulate 'spring', and time to grow! Here's how this can be done:
Obtain a planting container that has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Place the seeds just under the surface of your growing medium, and water. Place your container in a cold area (but not freezing, perhaps a refrigerator) for 5-6 weeks. Once the cold period is completed, place the container at room temperature for them to germinate. Be sure to keep the soil moist during this entire germination period. Seedlings will sprout a few weeks, or occasionally several months, after the warming period.