Tag Archives: butterfly bush

Flowers That Attract Pollinators and Robbers to a Garden

Posted on August 19, 2020 by

The shape, color, structure and odor of a flower usually determine the type of pollinators it attracts. A flower requires a pollinator that will visit it regularly and successfully transfer pollen in and/or between it and other flowers of its species to ensure fruit and seed production. For the service of pollination, the flower provides a reward: usually food such as nectar and/or pollen. Thus plants and their pollinators enjoy a mutualistic relationship. Continue reading →

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Invasive Plant Factsheet: Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)

Posted on July 13, 2020 by

2020 Invasive Plant Factsheet: Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
Although sometimes recommended for butterfly gardens, Buddleia davidii does not serve as a host plant for their larvae. It is planted so extensively that it commonly escapes from gardens and is invasive through much of the U. S., including Arlington and Alexandria in Northern Virginia. Continue reading →

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Native Alternatives to Overused Foundation Plants, Part I

Posted on June 3, 2020 by

In walks around my neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, I repeatedly see a limited palette of plants surrounding the foundations of homes and apartment buildings. The popular selections include euonymus, privet, cherry laurel, nandina, barberry, and Asian azaleas. Other favorites are boxwood, yew, burning bush, bush honeysuckle, and mophead hydrangea. While some of these non-native plant choices are benign, others are considered invasive in Northern Virginia and beyond, escaping from cultivation through the spread of their pollen and seeds.

Our Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Region offers many attractive substitute shrubs that can add beauty and diversity to the landscape while providing nectar, pollen, and fruit for the insect and animal species with which they have evolved. Read on to learn about the ornamental qualities and wildlife support offered by native alternatives for these popular alien shrubs. Continue reading →

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