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Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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Posted by
mxk3 z5b/6 MI (
My Page) on
Thu, Jun 26, 14 at 20:46
| It's the end of June and my BB are only about knee-high. I'm disappointed in the growth this season, they seem to be just poking along even though they look healthy otherwise - not terribly full, but healthy. Even my Bluebeard are coming along faster than these. I'm debating replacing them with new bushes this weekend -- because yes I'm kind of impatient to see, and more importantly, SMELL those blooms. How tall are yours at this point? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| Last time I looked, all my butterfly bushes had new growth but were way behind size-wise from other years. I don't think mine have topped 2 ft. so far this year. I'm not complaining simply because I'm so relieved they actually survived last winter. I only have 'Black Knight' grown from seed via winter sowing but I have 6 or 7 plants growing in various beds. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| I had a tiny sprout coming up from the roots so I decided to remove it. I will be planting a new one in the fall as I am adding a ton of amendments to the soil and letting it sit for a few months. I am trying the new cultivar, "Miss Molly". |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| Lost 2 and 2 others are doing extremely well. The most growth is on my multi colored bush that is well over 8 years old. I will also be trying Miss Molly this year. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| My Miss Molly was new last year, spent the winter in a pot and is now planted in too much shade...thanks to the tree guy not showing up to take down some big oaks. It's about 2 ft tall, so no complaints under the circumstances. I was thrilled that it lived. Have two Buzz Magentas that I put in at the end of the summer (small, $3 clearance plants) in the same too-shady area. They're probably 18" or so. I think I saw buds on one. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| I cut mine way back this spring thinking it didn't survive the winter. It's regained all that growth and then some, so it's about 2 1/2 feet tall now. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| It's tough to be disappointed in the growth when you consider the alternative. Many gardeners thought their butterfly bushes were killed, so any growth is a blessing. I'm assuming next year they will be back to normal. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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- Posted by maet z5 NL, Canada (My Page) on
Fri, Jun 27, 14 at 11:09
| Mine has a teeny sprout near the bottom so will probably remove it. It usually grows over 7 ft. My sister has two and hers is sprouting all over. Guess that's the difference when they are in a sheltered area of your yard. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| Wow, I'm surprised you all actually have BBs still. In our area, BBs got hammered over the winter. Either a total loss or died to the ground. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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Um.....dead.......
The only ones that survived were the Lo and Behold, and they are really behind. Probably shin-high now. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| Four of my five did survive the winter but all died back to the ground. I thought they were dead, but patience paid off and they sent up new growth from the roots. Now with some rain and heat they are catching up and are all between 3-4'. They normally get to be 6-8' by the end of the season when I cut them back to 1-2' in the spring (when the woody part didn't die back.) Don't know the variety since I started them from seed . They all have that light lavender colored flowers. I think they will bloom fine with the rate they are growing now. Store bought butterfly bush never lasted more than a year or two for me, but the seed grown ones are still going strong. The winter sure was hard on things though. My trumpet creeper that normally completely covers and drapes down from our our large willow tree snag that is 15-20' tall has died all the way back the ground. There is just a few feet of growth at the base and it looks pretty sad. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| I was just looking at the 'Black Knight' today. It is a well established specimen that has been there in my oldest garden bed ("front garden") for about 9 years. It appears to be way behind in growth this year. It is budding, but at about 3.5 feet (1 meter) it is much shorter than it usually is when it starts flowering, which is closer to 5 feet (if I recall correctly). I am a bit bummed about this and hope it puts on some decent growth because this shrub normally provides wind and privacy screen in the front garden through the winter. The 'Pink Delight' which is over in the "xeric garden" looks pathetic this year, only about 1.5 feet. I am thinking about moving it closer to the foundation of the house, where it is warmer and it doesn't really like a dry garden anyway. This is my 2nd 'Pink Delight' and in my experience it has been a much weaker cultivar than the purple 'Black Knight." |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| Mine isn't even quite knee-high yet. It was new last year and, considering the potential size of it, as in a spot that, now left pretty empty, looks pretty ridiculous. I've considered yanking it out and replacing it but I doubt I will this year. I'm happy it made it but disappointed, too. I sympathize. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| I think mine survived because it was completely buried in snow all winter. |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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| Out of the 4 I have, the tallest is 3ft. The smallest (near maple)is about 2 inches :/ |
RE: Zone 5/6-ers: How tall are your butterfly bush now?
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- Posted by mxk3 z5b/6 MI (My Page) on
Sat, Jun 28, 14 at 15:29
| Seems like a lot of you are having the same issue. Mine look very healthy and are definitely growing, just seem to be short for this time of year. Yea, yea, I shouldn't complain - I'm impatient, what can I say. |
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