Butterfly Bush: The Beautiful Burden
| It’s the time of year where we typically get visitors from far away, as well as locals, who come into the center and ask, “what is that beautiful purple shrub blooming by the river?” or even “where can I buy one of those purple flowering plants? I would love one in my garden!”
River Center staff explain to our guests that while this plant commonly known as butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is in fact beautiful, it is also an invasive species, and has proven to be harmful to the local ecosystem. Reproducing at an incredible rate, it is spreading much faster than it can be controlled. Buddleja davidii is native to China. It was introduced to North America as an ornamental garden plant and butterfly attractant. Despite its common name, and the fact that many butterfly gardening books recommend butterfly bush, this plant is an ineffective host plant for butterflies. While it’s nectar will attract adult butterflies, the bush offers no value for butterfly reproduction or larvae feeding. A good host plant would support the entire life-cycle of a species. Butterfly bush is not only unsustainable for the task that most people plant it for, but it has pushed its way into the floodplains of the Dungeness, and many other waterways in the Pacific Northwest. As mentioned in Tuesday’s newsletter about the connection between trees and salmon, we know that native trees play a vital role in salmon habitat. When invasive species like butterfly bush get introduced into the system, they can outcompete our native species and disrupt the natural succession of plants. Another quality gardeners love about butterfly bush is its prolific flower production. Prolific flowers also means prolific seed production. Each bush produces over 100,00 seeds that are distributed in the wind, escaping the garden and devastating stream banks with its invasive and rapid growth. When choosing plants for your property, remember to think of your yard, no matter how big or small, as habitat and an important link in your local ecosystem. Every plant you select to grow there will affect the local food web. Breeders of Buddleia have produced cultivars that are sterile, but unfortunately not one hundred percent. If you want to attract butterflies to your yard, select a native species that supports all life stages of butterflies. To learn more about maintaining a native garden that will attract pollinators, we recommend the book Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Now with our online bookstore, you can support the River Center and your local ecosystem with one purchase! Click here! |