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How to Root Cuttings of a Butterfly Bush (Propagation)

Butterfly Bush in a backyard garden

The butterfly bush is a beautiful bush that blooms from midsummer through September. When in bloom, the bushes are covered in blossoms of several shades, including white, red, pink, yellow, purple, blue and maroon. Butterfly bushes are desirable due to their large blossoms and attraction to many varieties of butterflies. Butterfly bushes can be costly, so propagating or rooting cuttings of a butterfly bush has become common.

The first step in rooting cuttings or propagating an established butterfly bush is to choose your cut. Simply remove a branch or cutting from the bush by snipping it off with garden cutters. Choose a healthy cutting that has new growth on it.

  • The butterfly bush is a beautiful bush that blooms from midsummer through September.
  • Butterfly bushes can be costly, so propagating or rooting cuttings of a butterfly bush has become common.

Remove any lower leaves from the cutting and stick the cutting into the ground about 4 inches deep.

Water the cutting and forget about it. You should see new growth in about a month. Once you see new growth on the cutting, you can move the cutting to a permanent place.

Butterfly Bush & A Butterfly Weed

A mature butterfly bush typically reaches 6 to 10 feet tall with an equal spread. Butterfly weed, on the other hand, is a perennial flower reaching only 1 to 3 feet tall. Where color is concerned, the many cultivars of butterfly bush have butterfly weed beat. White, different shades of pink, purple and blue are all commonly seen in nurseries and garden centers. Fertile, well-drained soil is an essential requirement of the butterfly weed, although butterfly bush will tolerate nearly every soil condition except for wet, particularly once it's established. Butterfly weed is tricky to transplant, but readily self-seeds -- a decent patch of this colorful, native perennial is possible after a few years from just one plant. Throughout summer, butterflies, moths and other pollinators will swarm butterfly bushes in grand displays of fluttering color. As a native species, the butterfly weed is an important host plant to native wildlife.

  • A mature butterfly bush typically reaches 6 to 10 feet tall with an equal spread.
  • Fertile, well-drained soil is an essential requirement of the butterfly weed, although butterfly bush will tolerate nearly every soil condition except for wet, particularly once it's established.

Butterfly Bush & A Butterfly Weed

A mature butterfly bush typically reaches 6 to 10 feet tall with an equal spread. Butterfly weed, on the other hand, is a perennial flower reaching only 1 to 3 feet tall. Where color is concerned, the many cultivars of butterfly bush have butterfly weed beat. White, different shades of pink, purple and blue are all commonly seen in nurseries and garden centers. Fertile, well-drained soil is an essential requirement of the butterfly weed, although butterfly bush will tolerate nearly every soil condition except for wet, particularly once it's established. Butterfly weed is tricky to transplant, but readily self-seeds -- a decent patch of this colorful, native perennial is possible after a few years from just one plant. Throughout summer, butterflies, moths and other pollinators will swarm butterfly bushes in grand displays of fluttering color. As a native species, the butterfly weed is an important host plant to native wildlife.

  • A mature butterfly bush typically reaches 6 to 10 feet tall with an equal spread.
  • Fertile, well-drained soil is an essential requirement of the butterfly weed, although butterfly bush will tolerate nearly every soil condition except for wet, particularly once it's established.

Tip

Butterfly bush prefers well-drained soil, so keep the soil moist, but not too wet.

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