Blue Chip Butterfly Bush Buddleja Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip Jr.' PP #19991
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Blue Chip Butterfly Bush:
- Description
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Few deciduous plants are as colorful in the summer garden as the butterfly bush, which is typically a 6- to 8-foot shrub. Buddleja is a genus of about 100 species of mainly shrubs but also some trees and climbers. Thanks to the plant breeding efforts of Dr. Dennis Werner at NC State University, a hardy miniature Buddleja called ‘Lo & Behold Blue Chip’ is available for Carolina gardens.
‘Blue Chip’ has a symmetrical, compact, and spreading habit with violet-blue flowers. The blossoms are fragrant and possess malformed anthers that produce little to no pollen. Due to the tiny number of seed heads formed, ‘Blue Chip’ flowers prolifically bloom throughout the summer and fall, with no need to deadhead spent blooms, providing beautiful color when few other shrubs are in bloom (Though deadheading is not necessary, removal of spent flower spikes during the growing season may encourage additional bloom). Even if plants do not die to the ground in winter, they will grow more vigorously, produce more and larger flowers, and maintain a more attractive overall shape if cut close to the ground in late winter each year.
Butterfly bushes require full sun and decent soil drainage (they do well in well-drained soils but tolerate clay soils). Because of the low spreading habit (2 to 3 feet in height) of ‘Lo & Behold Blue Chip,’ it is perfect for use in the front of landscape beds or in mass plantings. As with most Buddlejas, ‘Blue Chip’ will attract butterflies and other pollinators in abundance. It is deer resistant, drought-tolerant, and compact enough to grow in containers on your sunny patio. Plant in borders, cottage gardens, rose gardens, or pollinator gardens.
Insects, Diseases and Other Problems: This plant suffers from no serious insect or disease problems. Nematodes can be problematic. This cultivar is not considered to be invasive in the landscape (no suckers and few seeds).
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Buddleja
- Family:
- Scrophulariaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant attracts butterflies and other pollinators seeking nectar. It tolerates damage from deer and rabbits.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- diseases, insect pests; tolerates damage from deer and rabbits; deer resistant, drought tolerant
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Spreading
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- This cultivar produces a very small number of seed heads, allowing the plant a longer bloom time and removing the need to deadhead blooms.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- These flowers bloom continuously all summer and until the first frost with showy blue fragrant flowers in spike-like terminal and axillary clusters. It does not require deadheading. It works well as a cut flower.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- This plant has elliptic leaves that are gray/ green and reminiscent of willow.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Small Space
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Insect Pests
- Rabbits