Butterfly bush Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense'

Rotheca myricoides ‘Ugandense’, or Blue butterfly bush, is a low maintenance, suckering, evergreen shrub in the Lamiaceae family that is native to tropical eastern Africa (Kenya and Uganda). As its common name implies, the plant displays violet-blue flowers that resemble a butterfly in flight. This lanky shrub grows to 6 to 10 feet, but is not very vigorous and tends to have anemic green foliage. It has attractive light blue to violet-blue pea-like flowers and looks great grown in a container, though containers do best if overwintered in a sheltered location. If grown in a container, the plant will likely grow to a height of 4 feet. It grows best in frost-free climates, as it tends to freeze to the ground in zones 8-9 or when temperatures dip below 25 F, but even if it freezes, the roots can survive and rejuvenate in spring. If a compact form is desired, prune back to the ground in early spring.

The plant is easily grown in soils that are moist, well-drained, and have plenty of organic matter. It requires consistent watering and tolerates full sun to part shade, but performs best in part shade.

'Ugandense' is a cultivar originally named was Clerodendrum ugandense, which was later changed to Clerodendrum myricoides ‘Ugandense’. The current name, Rotheca myricoides ‘Ugandense’, was applied in 1998 based on the results of DNA studies.

Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems:

Except for possible bouts of leafspot, no known serious insect or disease problems are associated with this plant. However, aphids, mealybugs, scale, spider mites, and whitefly can occasionally cause problems.