How to propagate butterfly bush? A detailed guide to three methods: seed sowing, cuttings and division
Butterfly bush is a flowering plant in the order Gentianales and the family Loganiaceae, and it can be seen in every province of our country. As more people grow it in various places, questions about its propagation have also drawn concern. How do you propagate butterfly bush? What propagation methods does butterfly bush have? Below, the editor takes you through it.
1. How to propagate butterfly bush: sowing / cuttings / division
When it comes to how to propagate butterfly bush, it is mainly divided into three methods: propagation by sowing, propagation by cuttings and propagation by division. As long as we do it properly, all three methods produce plants with high ornamental value. As for the specific details and operation methods of the three propagation methods, they are described in detail below. Let us take a look.
2. Propagation methods of butterfly bush
Propagation by sowing
Seed germination stimulation: this plant has a very high fruit-setting rate. Its seeds usually mature 2-3 months after flowering, and that is when we can take them out. After taking them out, remove the outer skin, take out the seeds inside, then soak them in warm water for about 12-24 hours. When the seeds begin to absorb water and swell, take them out and sow them. This can stimulate the seeds to germinate.
Propagation by sowing: before propagating butterfly bush by sowing, we should first apply an appropriate amount of base fertilizer to the substrate, then evenly scatter the seeds on the surface of the soil. After scattering, cover them with 1-2 cm of soil and then water. Be sure to water thoroughly, then place them under a temperature condition of 20-25°C for 3-5 days and they will germinate.
Propagation by cuttings
Selection of cuttings: the choice of cuttings also has a great influence on the survival rate of butterfly bush cuttings. Generally, it is best to choose relatively robust branches free of pests and diseases as cuttings. If the branch we choose looks very slender, then it can basically be judged that the cutting will fail, so choosing the cutting is a very important step.
Cutting method: among the propagation methods of butterfly bush, propagation by cuttings is a relatively simple method. First, we can use a chopstick to poke a hole in the soil, then insert the cutting two-thirds into the soil and water it. When watering, be careful to water thoroughly at one time, and remember not to cause waterlogging.
Propagation by division
We can generally carry out propagation of butterfly bush by division together with repotting. When dividing, we can lift the overly dense mother plant out of the potting soil, then cut it into several clumps and pot them separately. Plant them as soon as they are divided, and they are extremely easy to establish. Generally, after potting they become a complete foliage ornamental plant.
Butterfly bush Buddleja lindleyana Fortune butterfly bush gallery: how to grow butterfly bush / how to propagate butterfly bush
Butterfly bush profileButterfly bush Buddleja lindleyana Fortune
How to grow butterfly bush and precautions, an introduction to butterfly bush
Butterfly bush (Buddleja lindleyana Fortune), a plant in the order Gentianales and the family Loganiaceae. Native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The leaves of most species in the genus Buddleja have down or chaff-like matter, and the flowers are clustered, purple, white, yellow or orange.
Butterfly bush, also known as yuwei cao and zuiyu'er cao, is a plant in the order Lamiales, the family Scrophulariaceae and the genus Buddleja. Deciduous shrub, 1-2.5 m tall. Bark tea-brown, much branched, branchlets four-angled, with narrow wings. Flowering period April-July, fruiting period October-November.
Butterfly bush, a semi-evergreen shrub in the family Verbenaceae and the genus Buddleja. Relatively cold-tolerant (in the Shanghai area it tolerates an absolute minimum temperature of -8°C, the suitable growth temperature is 25-30°C, and it can also tolerate a high temperature of 39°C), with strong drought resistance, it is not strict about soil quality, and management is extensive. It likes sufficient sunlight, and flowers most luxuriantly in fertile, well-drained places. It should be pruned after flowering every year to ensure vigorous growth the following year. From late spring until before frost it blooms continuously, with large and gorgeous inflorescences, a long flowering period and abundant blooming; it is an excellent summer and autumn flowering shrub. Butterfly bush is easy to cultivate and convenient to manage; whether planted in groups or scattered, it can form a good natural-style landscape.
Morphological characteristics of butterfly bush
Butterfly bush is a shrub, 1-3 m tall. The stem bark is brown; the branchlets are four-angled, with slightly narrow wings on the angles; the young branches, the underside of the leaves, the petioles, the inflorescences, the bracts and the bracteoles are all densely covered with stellate short down and glandular hairs.
Leaves opposite; leaves on sprouting branches alternate or nearly whorled; leaf blade membranous, ovate, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 3-11 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, apex acuminate, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin entire or with wavy teeth, dark green above, covered with stellate short pubescence when young, later becoming hairless, grayish yellow-green beneath; lateral veins 6-8 on each side, flat above, sunken after drying, slightly raised beneath; petiole 2-15 mm long.
Spicate cymes terminal, 4-40 cm long, 2-4 cm wide; bracts linear, up to 10 mm long; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2-3.5 mm long; flowers purple, fragrant; calyx campanulate, about 4 mm long, the outside together with the outside of the corolla covered with stellate hairs and small scales, the inside hairless, calyx lobes broadly triangular, about 1 mm long and wide; corolla 13-20 mm long, pubescent inside, corolla tube curved, 11-17 mm long, upper part 2.5-4 mm in diameter, lower part 1-1.5 mm in diameter, corolla lobes broadly ovate or nearly circular, about 3.5 mm long, about 3 mm wide; stamens inserted at the lower part of the corolla tube or near the base, filaments very short, anthers ovate, apex pointed, base auriculate; ovary ovate, 1.5-2.2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, hairless, style 0.5-1 mm long, stigma ovate, about 1.5 mm long.
Butterfly bush bark is tea-brown, much branched, branchlets four-angled, with narrow wings. Both sides of the angles are covered with short white pubescence, which falls off when old.
Simple leaves opposite; petiolate, the petiole densely covered with down; leaf blade papery, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 3-8 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, apex pointed, base cuneate, margin entire or with sparse serrations; when young and tender, both sides of the leaf are densely covered with yellow down, the hair falls off when old.
Spike terminal, 18-40 cm long, flowers inclined to one side; calyx tubular, with 4 or 5 shallow lobes, densely covered with scales; corolla slender and tubular, slightly curved, purple, about 15 mm long, outside with white glossy fine scales, inside with white fine pubescence, apex 4-lobed, lobes ovate; stamens 4; filaments short, adnate; pistil 1, style linear, stigma 2-lobed, ovary superior. Capsule oblong, about 5 mm long, scaly, dehiscing into 2 valves when ripe, base with persistent calyx.
Seeds tiny, brown.
Infructescence spicate; capsule oblong or elliptic, 5-6 mm long, 1.5-2 mm in diameter, hairless, scaly, base often with persistent calyx; seeds pale brown, small, wingless.
Flowering period April-October, fruiting period August to April of the following year.
Ecological habits of butterfly bush
It likes a warm and humid climate and deep, fertile soil, and is highly adaptable, but it does not tolerate waterlogging. Butterfly bush has strong stress resistance, tolerates severe cold and intense heat, and is water-saving and drought-tolerant. At temperatures as high as 40°C and -15°C, it can grow normally and overwinter safely, and it can endure a low temperature of -30°C. The temporary wilting coefficient of the leaves of Buddleja alternifolia is 1.292%, and it is extremely drought-tolerant. In areas with annual rainfall of 180-400 mm, irrigating 3 to 4 times a year, and in areas with about 400 mm, watering 1 to 2 times a year, is enough for it to grow and bloom, making it a good water-saving and drought-tolerant ornamental plant.
Cultivation techniques for butterfly bush
Butterfly bush has graceful branches and leaves, luxuriant flowers and an elegant fragrance. It is suitable for planting on slopes, at bridgeheads and beside walls, or as a medium-sized hedge, or planted in groups on lawns, or densely planted as a flower hedge or flower border.
Cultivation methods
Propagation by sowing, cuttings or division. Because the seeds are relatively small, it is suitable for broadcast sowing on raised beds; pay attention to keeping moisture and building a shed for shade. When the seedlings reach about 10 cm in height, plant them out separately.
Cuttings of butterfly bush can be taken in spring, using dormant branches as cuttings. Division is carried out together with transplanting, and it is easy to establish. During cultivation, the above-ground parts can be cut off during the dormant period to promote the growth of new branches and more flowers the following year.
Propagation methods
Butterfly bush is highly adaptable, tolerates poor soil, and resists salinity and alkalinity: it is not strict about soil requirements, and grows well in loam, sandy loam, sandy soil, gravelly soil and so on with good soil permeability.
It tolerates poor soil; when soil organic matter content is above 0.3%, the annual growth can still reach 33 cm. At a pH below 9 and a salt content below 0.3%, it can grow and bloom normally. It has strong stress resistance, tolerates severe cold and intense heat, and is water-saving and drought-tolerant: at temperatures as high as 40°C and -15°C, it can grow normally and overwinter safely, and it can endure a low temperature of -30°C. The temporary wilting coefficient of the leaves of Buddleja alternifolia is 1.292%, and it is extremely drought-tolerant. In areas with annual rainfall of 180-400 mm, irrigating 3 to 4 times a year, and in areas with about 400 mm, watering 1 to 2 times a year, is enough for it to grow and bloom, making it a good water-saving and drought-tolerant ornamental plant.
Butterfly bush, photo provided by Xue Jinze. The branches are tough and strong, and it grows vigorously, with abundant flowers and brilliant colors; it tolerates pruning and is suitable for shaping, with strong ornamental value. Buddleja alternifolia, properly pruned, not only has a compact plant shape but also a long flowering period, and can be applied on a large scale in parks, roadside green spaces and along both sides of highways by solitary planting, hedge planting, strip planting and mass planting, creating a kind of imposing beauty.
Butterfly bush is easy to propagate, and cultivation and management are simple and extensive: Buddleja alternifolia can be propagated by sowing, cuttings and tissue culture; especially softwood cuttings are easy to establish, bloom 2-3 years after cutting, and show quick results.
During the growing period, management is extensive and no winter protection measures such as cold protection are needed; there are few pests and diseases, which reduces control costs and environmental pollution; it has strong branching ability and tolerates pruning, and it is generally best to prune after flowering; it rarely needs fertilizing, and applying decomposed base fertilizer before planting is enough.
Propagation methods of butterfly bush, propagation methods
Softwood cuttings in the growing season of May and June are preferable. High survival rate, fast growth and rapid propagation.
Before cutting, first set up a shade shed. The river sand in the cutting bed is disinfected with potassium permanganate or carbendazim. Use semi-lignified branches cut into 10 cm lengths, remove all the lower leaves, and cut off two-thirds of the upper 2-3 leaves. The upper cut is made flat 1 cm from the bud, and the lower cut is made obliquely on the back of the bud into a horseshoe shape.
Use a wooden piece to draw a 5 cm deep furrow in the river sand, place the cuttings dipped in rooting agent neatly and then cover with sand, pat firm and spray water. The cutting density should be such that the leaves do not touch each other and are evenly distributed. After the whole bed is fully planted, spray once more with thorough water, then build an arched shed and cover with plastic film, sealing all around well.
Before rooting, spray water twice a day to cool down and keep moisture, maintaining a temperature inside the shed of about 28°C and a relative humidity above 90%. In May and June they root in about 20 days, and in July and August they begin to root in 2 weeks. After rooting, control water, pay attention to ventilation, and remove the arched shed according to the rooting situation. After hardening off for one week, transplant.
Planting out
Transplant the sprouted seedlings after rooting from cuttings with bare roots; the nursery land must be carefully plowed and harrowed. To prevent the occurrence of pests and diseases, when preparing the nursery land apply 3 kg to 4 kg of phoxim granules and 50 kg of ferrous sulfate per mu. When transplanting, follow the word "fast": transport fast and plant fast, and irrigate quickly after finishing a bed. Because butterfly bush grows fast, the spacing between plants and rows should not be too small; 35 cm x 50 cm is suitable. After transplanting, directly cover the small seedlings with shade netting for 2-3 days, remove the shade netting in the afternoon 3 days later and water thoroughly once more, and when the soil surface is slightly dry, shallowly hoe once to preserve soil moisture. After 7-10 days the transplanted seedlings will establish, and after 2 months a scene of brilliant colors will appear before your eyes.
Variety classification of butterfly bush, common varieties
1. Buddleja davidii Franch.
Deciduous shrub, up to 5 m tall, branchlets slightly angled, covered with pubescence, simple leaves opposite, leaf blade large, 5-25 cm long, margin finely toothed, underside of leaf densely covered with stellate down, small cymes aggregated into spicate panicles, corolla pale purple, throat orange-yellow, capsule, oblong, pointed at the end, and with many varieties, rich in flower color, fragrant flowers; it can be cultivated outdoors and overwinter in areas south of Beijing.
2. Buddleja alternifolia Maxim.
Deciduous shrub, up to 3 m tall, branches slender and weak, spreading and drooping, simple leaves alternate, lanceolate, 4-8 cm long, underside of leaf with grayish white down, clustered panicles borne on the previous year's branches, with a few small leaves at the base, corolla purple-blue, fragrant flowers. It grows in Shanxi, Hebei and the northwest region, and is relatively drought-tolerant.
Distribution range of butterfly bush
Butterfly bush grows at altitudes of 200-2,700 m in mountain roadsides, riverside thickets or forest edges. It likes a warm and humid climate and deep, fertile soil, and is highly adaptable, but it does not tolerate waterlogging.
Produced in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other provinces and regions. It is cultivated in Malaysia, Japan, the Americas and Africa.
Dietary or medicinal value of butterfly bush
The medical information and health dietary information on Huhua Network are for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. Any health problem should be consulted with professional medical personnel, and the treatment of any disease should follow a doctor's advice.
Ultimate flower-protecting task: love yourself, and start from reality and strictly follow a doctor's advice. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope; face it bravely, use love to warm the silent world, and use your heart to care for the flower field within.
Medicinal value
Functions and indications
Dispels wind, kills parasites, invigorates blood. Treats influenza, cough, asthma, rheumatic joint pain, ascariasis, hookworm disease, traumatic injuries, external bleeding from trauma, mumps and scrofula.
1. Fujian Folk Herbal Medicine: it can invigorate blood and move qi.
2. Hunan Materia Medica: dispels wind and removes dampness, moves qi and resolves phlegm, detoxifies and stops cough. Treats abdominal pain, diarrhea, carbuncles and swellings, and joint pain.
3. Mindong Materia Medica: promotes digestion and removes food stagnation, kills parasites. Treats colic caused by roundworms.
Pharmacological effects
Butterfly bush has certain insecticidal effects.
Prescriptions
1. To treat influenza: 5 qian to 1 liang of butterfly bush. Decoct in water and take. (Selected Compilation of Survey Materials on Single and Proven Prescriptions)
2. To treat hookworm disease: 5 qian of butterfly bush (reduced as appropriate for children). Boil in water for two hours, take
100 ml of the juice, add white sugar, and take it in divided doses after dinner and before breakfast the next morning. The dosage can be gradually increased from 5 qian to 5 liang. A few patients experience symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness and fatigue after taking the medicine. (National Exhibition Selections: Infectious Diseases)
3. To treat malaria: 1 liang each of butterfly bush and Solanum lyratum. Decoct in water, take it within three to four hours before the onset of the malaria attack, for two consecutive days. (Selected Compilation of Survey Materials on Single and Proven Prescriptions)
4. To treat fresh traumatic injuries: fresh whole plant of butterfly bush, 5 to 8 qian (3 to 5 qian if dried). Add an appropriate amount of red wine and boiling water, stew for one hour, and take orally. (Fujian Folk Herbal Medicine)
5. To treat external bleeding from trauma: dry butterfly bush leaves and grind them into powder, sprinkle on the wound, and press gently; it has a hemostatic effect. (Fujian Folk Herbal Medicine)
6. To treat poisoning from accidentally eating grouper roe (moderate poisoning) with continuous vomiting: grind fish-tail grass and take a small amount of the juice. (Puji Fang)
7. To treat mumps: 5 qian of butterfly bush, 7 maple balls, 3 qian of shepherd's purse. Boil with eggs and eat. (Hunan Materia Medica)
8. To treat scrofula: 1 liang of the whole plant of butterfly bush. Decoct in water and take. (Hunan Materia Medica)
9. To treat wind-cold toothache: fresh butterfly bush leaves and a little table salt, pound them into a paste, take the juice and rinse the mouth. (Fujian Chinese Herbal Medicine)
Clinical application
1. Treatment of chronic bronchitis
Use compound butterfly bush tablets, 8 tablets each time, 3 times a day (the daily dose is 5.3 qian of the crude drug butterfly bush, 4.7 qian of Ardisia japonica, and 2.6 fen of Daphne genkwa), with 10 days as one course of treatment. After medication the efficacy is obvious; generally after 3-5 days the cough is relieved, the purulent sputum becomes thinner and easier to cough up, and the wheezing is reduced, but it cannot be completely controlled. Side effects include stomach discomfort, dryness of the tongue and throat, intestinal flatulence, and a few report dizziness; these disappear after stopping the medication.
2. Treatment of bronchial asthma
Take butterfly bush decocted in water, twice a day, 2 liang each time. In 1 trial case, 10-15 minutes after each dose a large amount of yellow purulent-like sputum was coughed up, and after about 2 weeks the subjective chest tightness and oppression improved markedly; continuing the medication for 1.5 months (total drug amount reaching 6 jin), the symptoms gradually disappeared. A follow-up 3 months later showed the patient had returned to work, and although there were weather changes there were no attacks, and examination showed clear breath sounds in both lungs.
Functions and indications
Dispels wind and removes dampness, stops cough and resolves phlegm, dissipates blood stasis, kills parasites. Bronchitis, cough, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, traumatic injuries; for external use, treats bleeding from trauma and burns and scalds, and is also used to kill maggots and mosquito larvae.
Usage and dosage
3-5 qian. For external use, an appropriate amount, pound into a paste or grind into powder and apply to the affected area.
Precautions
1. Pregnant women should not take it.
2. When livestock eat a large amount, it causes poisoning phenomena such as vomiting, difficulty breathing and trembling of the limbs. Rescue methods: gastric lavage, purgation, drinking a large amount of sugar water or intravenous injection of glucose saline, and intramuscular injection of vitamin B1.
The role and uses of butterfly bush, ornamental applications
In landscaping, butterfly bush can be used to plant lawns, and can also be used for greening and beautifying slopes and wall corners. It is very beautiful for decorating rockeries, courtyards, roads and flower beds, and can also be used as cut flowers.
Buddleja davidii is cold-tolerant, drought-tolerant, tolerant of poor soil, tolerant of semi-shade, tolerant of extensive management, and averse to waterlogging. The plant has extremely strong sprouting ability and is extremely tolerant of pruning, requiring no very high skill.
Using Buddleja davidii for landscaping has a relatively low cost. Taking planting Buddleja davidii in a greening project as an example, if used for flower bed greening, with a plant and row spacing of 50 cm, 2,000 plants are planted in 500 sq m. Using small seedlings raised in winter and spring and planted in the project in April, if the price is 2 yuan per plant, 500 sq m only costs 4,000 yuan; if using 60 cm tall seedlings from the previous year, at 3 yuan to 4 yuan per plant, 500 sq m only costs 6,000 yuan to 8,000 yuan; if the plant and row spacing is increased to 80 cm to 90 cm, the unit cost will be even lower. Whether it is the small seedlings of the current year or the large seedlings of the previous year, planted in spring, by July to August you can likewise enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Compared with conventional greening tree species, the cost is basically the same, while the greening effect of Buddleja davidii is far higher than that of conventional tree species.
Cultural background of butterfly bush, plant culture
The whole plant of butterfly bush is slightly toxic; pounded and thrown into a river it can anesthetize live fish, making them easy to catch, hence the name "butterfly bush" (fish-intoxicating grass).
Textual research
1. Lüchan Yan Materia Medica: zuiyu'er cao must never be planted beside household ponds, for fear that fallen flowers and leaves may drop into the water, and if fish mistakenly eat them, they will surely be harmed; touching its fragrance is also harmful.
2. Compendium of Materia Medica: butterfly bush is found everywhere in the south, mostly growing as small plants on the banks of moats, the tall ones three or four chi. The root is shaped like that of goji. The stem resembles yellow vitex, with slight angles, and a thin yellow skin outside; the branches multiply easily. The leaves resemble those of water willow and grow in opposite pairs, and do not wither through the winter. In the seventh and eighth months it blooms in spikes, red-purple, exactly like Daphne genkwa, and bears fine seeds. Fishermen gather the flowers and leaves to poison fish, which are all surrounded and die, and call it zuiyu'er cao; it must not be planted beside ponds. This flower's color, shape, smell and taste are all like those of Daphne genkwa, and it also poisons fish in the same way, only differing in that it does not bloom at the same time.
3. Main Poisonous Plants of the South: the poisoning symptoms caused in humans and livestock after eating large amounts of butterfly bush flowers and leaves are dizziness, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and numbness and trembling of the limbs. Rescue methods: gastric lavage, purgation, drinking a large amount of sugar water or intravenous drip of glucose saline, intramuscular injection of vitamin B1 and symptomatic treatment. A Guangzhou herbal medicine doctor introduces: 2 qian of Saposhnikovia divaricata and 2 qian of licorice, decocted in four bowls of clear water down to two bowls and drunk; 4 qian of jinlan cao (also called fine-leaved wind-tail grass), four bowls of clear water, decocted down to one to two bowls and drunk.
The flower language of butterfly bush
Butterfly bush flower language: faith.
As soon as one sees the person one likes, one clings and will not let go, but after a long time one grows tired of it, so if this behavior is not corrected, one may be lonely for a lifetime.
Butterfly bush pictures
The habits of butterfly bush, how to grow butterfly bush
The habits of butterfly bush are that it likes a warm and humid climate and deep, fertile soil, and is highly adaptable, but it does not tolerate waterlogging. Butterfly bush is easy to cultivate and convenient to manage; whether planted in groups or scattered, it can form a good natural-style landscape. Below let us take a look at how to grow butterfly bush and related knowledge.
Introduction to butterfly bush
Butterfly bush (Buddleja lindleyana Fortune), a plant in the order Gentianales and the family Loganiaceae. Native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The leaves of most species in the genus Buddleja have down or chaff-like matter, and the flowers are clustered, purple, white, yellow or orange.
Butterfly bush, also known as yuwei cao and zuiyu'er cao, is a plant in the order Lamiales, the family Scrophulariaceae and the genus Buddleja. Deciduous shrub, 1-2.5 m tall. Bark tea-brown, much branched, branchlets four-angled, with narrow wings. Flowering period April-July, fruiting period October-November.
Butterfly bush, a semi-evergreen shrub in the family Verbenaceae and the genus Buddleja. Relatively cold-tolerant (in the Shanghai area it tolerates an absolute minimum temperature of -8°C, the suitable growth temperature is 25-30°C, and it can also tolerate a high temperature of 39°C), with strong drought resistance, it is not strict about soil quality, and management is extensive. It likes sufficient sunlight, and flowers most luxuriantly in fertile, well-drained places. It should be pruned after flowering every year to ensure vigorous growth the following year. From late spring until before frost it blooms continuously, with large and gorgeous inflorescences, a long flowering period and abundant blooming; it is an excellent summer and autumn flowering shrub. Butterfly bush is easy to cultivate and convenient to manage; whether planted in groups or scattered, it can form a good natural-style landscape.
The habits of butterfly bush
It likes a warm and humid climate and deep, fertile soil, and is highly adaptable, but it does not tolerate waterlogging. Butterfly bush has strong stress resistance, tolerates severe cold and intense heat, and is water-saving and drought-tolerant. At temperatures as high as 40°C and -15°C, it can grow normally and overwinter safely, and it can endure a low temperature of -30°C. The temporary wilting coefficient of the leaves of Buddleja alternifolia is 1.292%, and it is extremely drought-tolerant. In areas with annual rainfall of 180-400 mm, irrigating 3 to 4 times a year, and in areas with about 400 mm, watering 1 to 2 times a year, is enough for it to grow and bloom, making it a good water-saving and drought-tolerant ornamental plant.
Morphological characteristics of butterfly bush
Butterfly bush is a shrub, 1-3 m tall. The stem bark is brown; the branchlets are four-angled, with slightly narrow wings on the angles; the young branches, the underside of the leaves, the petioles, the inflorescences, the bracts and the bracteoles are all densely covered with stellate short down and glandular hairs.
Leaves opposite; leaves on sprouting branches alternate or nearly whorled; leaf blade membranous, ovate, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 3-11 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, apex acuminate, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin entire or with wavy teeth, dark green above, covered with stellate short pubescence when young, later becoming hairless, grayish yellow-green beneath; lateral veins 6-8 on each side, flat above, sunken after drying, slightly raised beneath; petiole 2-15 mm long.
Spicate cymes terminal, 4-40 cm long, 2-4 cm wide; bracts linear, up to 10 mm long; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2-3.5 mm long; flowers purple, fragrant; calyx campanulate, about 4 mm long, the outside together with the outside of the corolla covered with stellate hairs and small scales, the inside hairless, calyx lobes broadly triangular, about 1 mm long and wide; corolla 13-20 mm long, pubescent inside, corolla tube curved, 11-17 mm long, upper part 2.5-4 mm in diameter, lower part 1-1.5 mm in diameter, corolla lobes broadly ovate or nearly circular, about 3.5 mm long, about 3 mm wide; stamens inserted at the lower part of the corolla tube or near the base, filaments very short, anthers ovate, apex pointed, base auriculate; ovary ovate, 1.5-2.2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, hairless, style 0.5-1 mm long, stigma ovate, about 1.5 mm long.
The bark of the butterfly bush is tea-brown, much branched, with four-angled branchlets bearing narrow wings. The two faces of the angles are covered with short white soft hairs, which fall off as the plant ages.
Leaves simple, opposite; stalked, the petiole densely covered with down; leaf blade papery, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 3-8cm long, 1.5-3cm wide, apex acute, base cuneate, margin entire or sparsely serrate; when young and tender, both surfaces densely covered with yellow down, the hairs falling off with age.
Spikes terminal, 18-40cm long, flowers turned to one side; calyx tubular, shallowly 4- or 5-lobed, densely covered with scales; corolla slenderly tubular, slightly curved, purple, about 15mm long, the outside bearing white glossy fine scales, the inside bearing white fine soft hairs, apex 4-lobed, the lobes ovate; stamens 4; filaments short, adnate; pistil 1, style linear, stigma 2-lobed, ovary superior. Capsule oblong, about 5mm long, scaly, splitting into 2 valves at maturity, base with a persistent calyx.
Seeds minute, brown.
Infructescence spicate; capsule oblong or elliptic, 5-6 mm long, 1.5-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, scaly, base often with a persistent calyx; seeds pale brown, small, wingless.
Flowering period April-October, fruiting period August to April of the following year.
How to grow butterfly bush
The butterfly bush has graceful, dancing branches and leaves, abundant blooms, and an elegant fragrance. It is suitable for planting on slopes, at bridgeheads, and along walls, or as a medium-sized hedge, or planted in clumps on lawns or densely planted as a flowering hedge or flower border.
I. Cultivation method
Propagated by sowing, cuttings or division. Because the seeds are rather small, it is suitable to broadcast them on raised beds, taking care to keep them moist and to build a shed for shade; when the seedlings reach about 10 cm in height, transplant them to a larger area.
Cuttings of butterfly bush can be taken in spring, using dormant branches as cuttings. Division is carried out together with transplanting and roots easily. During cultivation, the above-ground parts can be cut back during the dormant period to encourage new shoots and more flowers the following year.
II. Propagation method
The butterfly bush is highly adaptable, tolerant of poor soil, and resistant to salinity and alkalinity: it is not demanding about soil and grows well in loam, sandy loam, sand, gravelly soil and the like with good soil permeability.
Tolerant of poor soil, it can still achieve an annual growth of 33 cm where soil organic matter content is above 0.3%. It can grow and flower normally at a pH below 9 and a salt content below 0.3%. It has strong stress resistance, tolerating severe cold and intense heat, and is water-saving and drought-tolerant: it can grow normally and overwinter safely at temperatures as high as 40°C and as low as -15°C, and can endure a low of -30°C. The temporary wilting coefficient of the leaves of the alternate-leaved butterfly bush is 1.292%, and it is extremely drought-tolerant; in areas with an annual rainfall of 180-400 mm, watering 3 to 4 times a year, or in areas with around 400 mm, watering 1 to 2 times a year, is enough for it to grow and flower, making it an excellent water-saving, drought-tolerant ornamental plant.
Photo courtesy of Xue Jinze. The branches are tough and strong, and the plant grows vigorously, with abundant blooming and brilliant flower colors, tolerant of pruning and suitable for shaping, with strong ornamental value: the alternate-leaved butterfly bush, through reasonable pruning, not only has a compact plant shape and a long flowering period, but can also be applied on a large scale in parks, green spaces along streets and on both sides of highways by solitary planting, hedge planting, band planting and block planting, creating a kind of imposing beauty.
The butterfly bush propagates easily, and cultivation and management are simple and extensive: the alternate-leaved butterfly bush can be propagated by sowing, cuttings and tissue culture, and especially softwood cuttings root easily; plants flower 2-3 years after cuttings are taken, giving quick results.
Management during the growing period is extensive, with no need for winter protection measures such as cold-proofing; there are few pests and diseases, which reduces control costs and environmental pollution; it has strong branching ability and is tolerant of pruning, generally best pruned after flowering; it needs very little fertilizer, and applying well-rotted base fertilizer before planting is sufficient.
Propagation methods of butterfly bush
1. Propagation method
Softwood cuttings taken in the growing season in May and June are preferable. The survival rate is high, growth is fast, and propagation is rapid.
Before cutting, first build a shade shed, and disinfect the river sand in the cutting bed with potassium permanganate or carbendazim. Cut semi-lignified branches into 10 cm lengths, remove all the lower leaves, and cut two-thirds off the upper 2-3 leaves. Make the upper cut straight, 1 cm above a bud, and the lower cut slanted on the back side of a bud into a horseshoe shape.
Use a wooden strip to draw a furrow 5 cm deep in the river sand, place the cuttings dipped in rooting hormone in neat rows, then cover with sand, pat firm and spray with water. The planting density should be such that the leaves do not touch each other and are evenly distributed; after the whole bed is planted, spray once more with water until thoroughly soaked, then build an arched shed and cover it with plastic film, sealing it well all around.
Before rooting, spray with water twice a day to lower the temperature and keep it moist, maintaining a temperature inside the shed of about 28°C and a relative humidity above 90%. In May and June, rooting takes about 20 days; in July and August, rooting begins in 2 weeks. After rooting, control the moisture, pay attention to ventilation, and remove the arched shed according to the rooting situation. After hardening off for a week, transplant.
2. Planting out
Transplant the rooted shoots bare-rooted, and the nursery plot must be carefully and thoroughly prepared. To prevent pests and diseases, apply 3 kg to 4 kg of phoxim granules and 50 kg of ferrous sulfate per mu when preparing the plot. When transplanting, follow the principle of "fast": transport fast and plant fast, and irrigate as soon as a bed is planted. Because the butterfly bush grows fast, the row spacing should not be too small; 35 cm × 50 cm is suitable. After transplanting, cover the young seedlings directly with a shade net for 2-3 days, remove the shade net on the afternoon of the third day and water thoroughly once more, and when the soil surface is slightly dry, shallowly hoe once to conserve soil moisture. After 7-10 days the transplanted seedlings will have established, and after 2 months a scene of brilliant colors will appear before your eyes.