Butterfly Bushes are a fountain of beautiful tiny flowers that butterflies cannot resist… and neither can we!
We picked up one of these plants at a local garden show, and they have been a visual delight. There are always multiple butterflies enthusiastically fluttering around the vibrant micro flowers.
It’s not just butterflies we’ve seen, but bumble bees, honey bees, and humming birds too.
The bush grows kind of like a fountain grass, leggy with the flowers growing in cone masses on the ends.
These bushes like the sun. They also must be tended to regularly by “deadheading” (cutting off) the flower cones as soon as they are spent, so that new flowers will grow.
Other Butterfly Attractors
There are many plants that make for a beautiful garden AND attract butterflies and other pollinators. Here are a few popular choices we see often at the nursery and our local garden centers.
Our Current Favorite Places for Plants
- Apopka Art and Foliage Festival: Brought to us by the City of Apopka and the Apopka Women’s Club.
- Propagate Social House, Apopka: It’s like a coffee house, café, and plant place all-in-one! A very low key, quaint and relaxing atmosphere.
- Kim’s Cabbage Patch, Clermont: Not just plants, but fruits, vegetables and other stuff too!
- Lucas’ Nursery, Oviedo: A massive nursery with beautiful grounds, unique planters and lawn art, a butterfly encounter, a dedicated butterfly plant area, and just about every other plant, bush, and tree you could ever imagine.
Always Plant With Care
As with all plants, purchase locally at a nursery or approved vendor to ensure you are buying Central Florida safe plants. Inquire with an on-site plant specialist for care instructions, tips, and to know potential hazards if planting in high traffic areas, or in areas pets use.
If you need some quick tips for transplanting your plant purchases to the garden, check out our article, Flowers, Flowers, Everywhere.
DeAnna & company 