Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush

Butterfly Bushes are magnets for Butterflies and other pollinating insects. Some varieties tend to set seed very easily and can get to be a real chore to keep under control. Funky Fuchsia™ is a Butterfly Bush that is well behaved. The gorgeous fuchsia pink flower spikes cover every branch on this shrub and do not set seed at a rate that causes problems. This variety is also very cold hardy. Butterfly Bush should be deadheaded regularly to encourage a long bloom time and to control seeding. The fragrant flower spikes will keep going until the first hard frost of fall. Deer rarely browse Butterfly Bush and there are few diseases that cause problems. Funky Fuchsia™ would make a nice addition to a flower arrangement with its single arching stems and lance shaped foliage. Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush Care Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush needs full sun to bloom well and moderate water. This shrub will become more drought tolerant as it matures, needing less and less supplemental irrigation. An average to poor soil with a neutral pH is perfect for this low maintenance bloomer. Pruning hard is sometimes needed in the spring. If winter damage is extensive, a hard cut back of all branches to about on foot from the ground will encourage vigorous regrowth. Little if no blooms will be lost. Butterfly Bush blooms on current years growth. Fertilizing can be done early in the spring with a well balanced, slow release food. Mulching with leaves or organic compost in the fall will help to make the soil more moisture retentive over time. Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush Spacing Butterfly bushes are usually planted as a single specimen in the garden or can even be container grown for use in a smaller space. The overall height and width of Funky Fuchsia™ is 6-8 feet. When planting with other shrubs as part of a mixed hedge a spacing of 7 feet on center is recommended.