Gertens Plant Finder

Other Names:  Summer Lilac

Group/Class:  Buzz Series

Brand:  Gertens

Description:

A compact garden plant with glowing dark purple flowers in summer when little else blooms; attracts butterflies; may be cut back to ground each spring; perfect for smaller garden spaces or patio containers

Ornamental Features

Buzz™ Midnight Butterfly Bush features showy panicles of fragrant deep purple flowers with orange eyes at the ends of the branches from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has green deciduous foliage. The narrow leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Buzz™ Midnight Butterfly Bush is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Buzz™ Midnight Butterfly Bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Buzz™ Midnight Butterfly Bush will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Buzz™ Midnight Butterfly Bush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

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