GARDEN CAPSULE
The challenge: You’d like to grow some butterfly bushes (Buddleia) to attract more butterflies to your yard, but you’ve heard that their seedlings can be terribly invasive.
The solution: Select varieties that produce few seeds: The Flutterby series, the Lo and Behold series, Asian Moon, Miss Molly, or Miss Ruby. An alternative: Cut back fading blossoms before they have a chance to set seeds.
Pluses: Butterfly bush is very ornamental, with a long season of fragrant blooms that attract not only butterflies but also hummingbirds. Most of the non-invasive varies are compact, a good fit for small gardens and sized just right for growing in containers. Deer seldom browse on butterfly bush.
Minuses: If you want a full-sized butterfly bush that grows 5 feet tall or more, there are no non-invasive choices available, at least not yet. For these, deadheading is your only option; while it makes the shrub more attractive, it’s a time-consuming task. Butterfly bush does not survive in wet, clay soil.
Sources: Some of the recommended varieties are widely available at garden centers. You can also order online from Forest Farm ( www.forestfarm.com ) or Nature Hills Nursery
( www.naturehills.com ). For more information on growing butterfly bush and results of an evaluation of many different varieties at the Chicago Botanic Garden, go to www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/plant_trials_articles. Click on butterfly bush.