Buddleia Blooms

[Chipchopper]

I've been dead heading my Buddleia 'Black Knight', as the flowers fade, to produce more flowers lower down the stems, I been doing this, probably 4-5 times now and the butterfly's (mostly red admirals and commas) are scrambling for the last few remaining blooms.
I'm just hoping that the weather stays fine, so that the Buddleia can keep on producing to keep up with the demand for nectar.

It always amazes me how they manage to home in on my, one bush, the only one for some distance!
Their sense of smell must be phenomenal!

[Prudie]

Hi Chipchopper, I posted a month or two back about my buddleias (I've got a Black Knight and a white one) because this year in particular I've had a spectacular number of butterflies. All the flower heads are dead now but I'm still getting lots of butterflies and bees as they've moved on to my large clump of Michaelmas daisies. Beautiful aren't they.

[Chipchopper]

Hi Prudie,
Yes, I think I remember your post, Where on earth would we be without our Buddies, the only one that don't seem that good for butterfly's is the variety 'alternifolia' which flowers before most butterfly's are about.
Youre Michaelmas daisies are a good late nectar source, I have a clump of them, but I think I'll have to move them to a more sunnier site for them to flower better.

[murraymints]

As above..I also still have inter alia lavatera Rosa and rudbekia that they love

[Chipchopper]

I've not heard of that first one, Minty, I'll check that out after dinner.
Thank's - Chip

[murraymints]

Lavatera rosa ?? Pink mallow...

[Chipchopper]

LOL Minty. I had a quick look at your post, before stopping for dinner and thought I saw 'Arailia elata', Incidently the one in my garden is out in full bloom.
Sorry, I only speak gardeners latin ;-)

[murraymints]

Hee hee....

[Robinia]

I love buddleias. I've got an African Queen (I got the wrong one, I wanted Black Knight) and although the butterflies don't bother with it the bees love it... Pink Delight that the butterflies and moths queue up for...and globosa, or bubble gum tree as I call it, that the bees and any early butterflies love. I've always wanted a budd weyeriana(sp?)... maybe next year?
I've got lots of michelmas daisies & sedums for late summer visitors but it looks like summer's well and truly over today, it's gone very chilly. :(

[Chipchopper]

That reminds me Robinia, I must pinch a bit of cedum autumnalis, so easy from cuttings.

I've stumbled across a 'Button Bush' (cephalanthus occidentalis), in a garden centre which in it's native north America, attracts all manner of butterflies over the pond, so it will be interesting to see how it doe's over here. At the moment its gone past the flowering stage, but I'll keep an eye out next year.

[Robinia]

Oh, haha, I like that button bush, it looks like lots of little 60s sputniks. I think my garden would be too dry for it.