It's time to start thinking spring! And that means planning out what you want in your yard or garden. Luckily the Green Macomb Tree and Plant Sale has everything you need to get started. So here's our first Make Macomb Your Home plant profile recommendation: The butterfly bush.
As a refresher, the sale is an annual event held by Green Macomb and the Blue Water Conservation District which provides an opportunity for the public to purchase young trees, fruit trees, flowering shrubs, wildflower seed and other fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices. Online ordering runs through April 6, so we highly recommend starting your research and making your choices now. Which brings us back to the butterfly bush. This beautiful shrub contains long, arching shoots that fill the air with a fruity scent from summer to autumn. It is vigorous and undemanding and will continually send up new shoots. Its flowers come in many colors, though butterflies seem to prefer the lavender-pink (mauve) of the species to the white and dark purple cultivars.
As mentioned, the bush is easy to manage, which is supported by these tips on planting and care from the Farmer’s Almanac:
- Planting
- Buddleias need full sun and fertile, well-drained soil.
- Plant in spring or fall before frost. See your local frost dates.
- Loosen the soil, mix in compost, and dig a hole twice the diameter of the plant container.
- When placing the plant in the hole, the top of the rootball should be level with the soil surface.
- Space plants 5 to 10 feet apart, depending on the variety.
- Water thoroughly.
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Care
- Water freely when in growth and sparingly otherwise. In the summer, water if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
- Avoid fertilizing butterfly bush; too much fertility promotes leaf growth over flower production.
- Remove spent flower spikes to encourage new shoots and flower buds.
- Each spring, apply a thin layer of compost and mulch to retain moisture and control weeds.
- In cold, northern climates, spread mulch up to 6 inches deep around the trunk to nurture it through the winter.
- Buddleias are very late to break dormancy, so don’t be in a hurry to assess winter damage.
- The bush should bloom abundantly even in its first year. In warmer climates, the bushes will grow into trees and develop rugged trunks that peel; peeling is normal.
- In the northern limit of their range, they behave as herbaceous perennials, dying back to the root in cold winters.
- Since they bloom on new wood, even if there is no die-back, cut them back to the ground every spring. Yes, hack to the ground!
- Even where winters are mild enough for the stems to survive, prune severely to stimulate abundant growth on which flowers are borne.
If you’re interested in purchasing a butterfly bush, check out the easy sale order form here. All items purchased can be picked up in person or shipped to your home. There will be two pick-up locations in Macomb County:
- April 26 and 27 - Armada Fairgrounds
- April 29 and 30 - Sterling Heights Dodge Park Farmers Market Pavilion
For more information on the tree and plant sale, visit the Green Macomb website.
Megan Ochmanek is a communications specialist for the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development.
