Blue Butterfly Bush, Blue Glory Bower, Blue Wings Bush

Description

From spring to fall the Blue Butterfly Bush produces large clusters of dainty, blue flowers that very much resemble little butterflies and thus the name. This is a tropical plant that can be grown as a root hardy perennial in the northern portions of its range (zone 9 and warmer) otherwise it makes an easy to grow container plant. In its native habitat it can reach 10-12'H but more typically it is maintained as a 4-6'H shrub. The long canes lend it to use as an espalier.It is interesting to note that the Blue Butterfly Bush was originally grouped with the South American Clerodendrums but as with all of the African Clerodendrum species, sometimes but incorrectly Clerodendron, it has been moved into theRotheca genus. The flowers are often visited by a variety of pollinators particularly bees, butterflies, as well as the occasional hummingbird. Be cautious about overfertilizing this plant or you may push growth at the expense of flowers especially with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen is the first number in the N-P-K ratio on the bag or container you purchased it in. Consider using a balanced slow or controlled release fertilizer like Scott's Osmocote© Flower and Vegetable Food withan NPK of 14-14-14.To learn more about fertilizing please see our Fertilizing Basics Growing Guide.The Blue Butterfly Bush as we all lovingly have known it for many years is actually the cultivar 'Ugandense'. In the nursery trade across much of the south 'ugandense' has been confused with the specific epithet or 'species' of this Clerodendrum, now Rotheca. This cultivar has additional common names applied to it including the Oxford Bush and the Cambridge Bush. To make it all more confusing the genera Clerodendrum and Rotheca have now been moved from the Verbena family, Verbenaceae, to the Mint family, Lamiaceae.