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rigbygarden

Where is Buddleia Bush Invasive?

rigbygarden
16 years ago

I am in the process of removing invasive plants from my garden. I have seen Buddleia bushes listed as invasive in Massachusetts on one list of invasive plant and not on others. Does anyone know if it is invasive in my zone 5 area or can I continue to enjoy it?

Comments (19)

  • Iris GW
    16 years ago

    Here is a good report from 2006 with some details. Keep in mind that not all states are very good about adding plants to their list. And some states don't even HAVE a list.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Buddleia invasive report

  • rigbygarden
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    That was very helpful. Thank you so much!

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    16 years ago

    i didnt read the doc ...

    but in my experience it is barely winter hardy in my zone 5 ... perhaps you have a microclimate you are unaware of ....

    but there is a simple answer .. have you seen any seedlings.. or runner volunteers????

    ken

  • Iris GW
    16 years ago

    This plant spreads by seeds.

    Ken, please do not encourage people to believe that they have to see seedlings themselves to determine if it is becoming invasive in their area. That is a misconception that that is the way you judge if it's a problem.

    I get plenty of seedlings in my yard from callery pear, nandina, mahonia, privet, and Elaeagnus and several of these are not even in my neighbors yards - they are coming from further away.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    16 years ago

    true true true ..... but you would see at least a few ... and if you see a few ... then presume the birds carried away millions of them .... spot on .. i deserved that one ...

    but i still dont think they are invasive in zone 5 .... because all 7 of mine died within 3 years ...

    ken

  • Iris GW
    16 years ago

    You are very gracious, Ken! Hopefully their seeds don't have much luck in zone 5, but with global warming .... who knows! :)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    16 years ago

    gracious.. i have been called a lot of things on the opposite end of the spectrum .. lol ... its a weird feeling ... on this end of the psectrum ... lol ..

    warming zones did cross my mind ... but i considered that seeds might not carry over winter in zone 5 ... and darn was it cold this winter.. no matter what the alleged experts claimed ...

    ken

  • chrismich250
    16 years ago

    See if your local city has a list. In Saline MI, they just published a list of 'do not plant' things, and Butterfly bush was on it.

  • rigbygarden
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I have only had my bush 2 years. I find that sometimes there is a watershed moment where before I have no seedlings of a plant and then suddenly I have them everywhere (and I am banging my head against the wall). I am trying to avoid such a moment here (it's painful ;-)).

    My original confusion came from reading The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's guide Native alternatives to Invasive Plants. They list it as invasive in Massachusetts, however, the Massachusetts state list doesn't. I searched the internet without any luck. I was hoping someone here might know. (and I did get help, thanks!)

    I have a microclimate in my garden against my southern exposure wall, it moves things up (down?) maybe a zone. It's a very protected site.
    I live in a small town, no list, but that's a good idea. I may check the nearby city for a list.

    And Yea, what a wierd winter. First it wouldn't come, then it wouldn't leave!

  • jmpellet
    16 years ago

    I had 13 of them along my back property line and within 3 years 80% of them didn't make the winter. I never see extra bushes in and around MA.

  • jackbe1
    16 years ago

    I have gardened in southern connecticut for years and this year for the very 1st time, I have seen one volunteer butterfly bush sprout up from seed. It is in one area of soil in my yard that is exceptionally rich and moist with excellent drainage. I have not seen it sprout elsewhere in my yard although I planted three other plants elsewhere. In my experience Buddleia is not invasive in southern Connecticut. Burning bush is quite another story.

  • schmoo
    16 years ago

    Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidi)is considered by some or nearing introduced weed status in Orygun. I believe genetic testing was done? and showed it was seedling plants, not named/cultivated forms that are rearing their heads in nasty areas where nothing else will grow or germinate(that was one aspect they found consistant, the seedlings did not do well where other weeds? would grow)...........

  • vegangirl
    16 years ago

    I've had Lochinch for about 10 years, maybe more. It dies back to the ground every winter. I've never seen a seedling. I am always roaming the fields and woods birding so I believe I would notice any seedlings that were there. I notice plant life as it interests me. I'm in SW VA mts, zone 6.

  • sam_md
    16 years ago

    'Lochinch' = B. fallowiana X B. davidii and like many hybrids likely does not produce viable seed.
    I-83 from Baltimore to Harrisburg, outside of every guardrail one finds patches of Buddleia, mostly noticeable when it blooms.
    Sam

  • runktrun
    16 years ago

    Another voice from MA and Buddleia 'lochinch' is a prolific beautiful pest I literally weed hundreds and hundreds of seedlings that do indeed mature if allowed to. They do tend to be as short lived as many perennials 10 years. I have finally given up on this beauty and replaced it with a chaste tree. Spirea poses the same problems. kt

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    16 years ago

    Unfortunately, they've yet to develop a buddleia with reliably sterile seeds - even the hybrids have the potential to be weedy. Just how weedy or invasive will depend a lot on the climate. It is not unusual here to see buddleia growing along the highway verges, in abandoned parking lots and other areas that don't get attention - it is remarkably self sufficient. And we no longer carry it at my nursery.

  • diggingthedirt
    16 years ago

    I had a hybrid - white, forget the variety - that only produced 2 or 3 seedlings in my yard, that I know of, over about 5 years. Those seedlings, however, each produced 5 million more. I will be pulling them up forever.

    Vitex (Chaste tree) is a great alternative where it's hardy, but that does not include zone 5.

  • schmoo
    16 years ago

    "even the hybrids have the potential to be weedy"

    gardengal48,

    Genetic testing has shown the "weedy" buddleia around Portland, coast and other areas are from seed grown plants....not commonly produced cultivars (that work was done via OSU....NOT THE OSU). These seedlings will germinate and thrive in areas other weeds/plants will not.
    I cannot remember the sci.fi. term for a "self replicating machine"....but BB seem to fit the plant form around here.

  • Tim Wood
    16 years ago

    The Buddliea Invasive Report Posted above claims that Buddleia is naturalized in the Great Lakes. Another post said that Saline, MI has banned Buddleia. Funny because I have NEVER seen buddleia in the wild anywhere in the great lakes region.

    Invasiveness is regional issue, but people get on the internet and read a report from Oregon, or a list from some uninformed township and add plant names to their own invasive list.

    Enough hear say and list borrowing.

    This forum is a great place to get real first hand information on invasive problems in different states, as opposed to just reading someones list.

    The question is - Do you find Buddleia in the wild in your area. Yes or No.

    If yes - post images please.

    As for Michigan and Ohio - I have never seen it in the wild.

    How about in your state? Yes or No?

    PS - The cultivar 'White Ball' is absolutely non-invasive. I have tried sowing seed numerous times without luck.