Problems With Butterfly Bushes: Common Butterfly Bush Pests And Diseases (2024)

FAQs

Problems With Butterfly Bushes: Common Butterfly Bush Pests And Diseases? ›

Butterfly Bush strongly dislikes soggy or poorly-drained soils, so depending on the watering frequency or water flow near this planting bed, they may be getting too wet. When roots are deprived of oxygen from soggy conditions, they die back and can become infected, which results in a corresponding loss of branches.

Butterfly Bush strongly dislikes soggy or poorly-drained soils, so depending on the watering frequency or water flow near this planting bed, they may be getting too wet. When roots are deprived of oxygen from soggy conditions, they die back and can become infected, which results in a corresponding loss of branches.

Herbicides with active ingredients triclopyr and/or glyphosate, used individually or in a mixture, are effective chemical treatments for butterfly bush. Look for these chemical names in the “Active Ingredients” section of product labels.

Yellow leaves, leaf drop, and brown spots signal health issues in Butterfly Bushes. Sunburn and over-watering cause leaf scorching and soft spots, respectively.

Soapy water may dislodge and kill more aphids, but it also is more damaging to the monarchs and can build up on the plant. Though tedious, dabbing aphids with cotton swabs dipped in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol is most effective. That kills them outright.

Spraying concentrated insecticides for Night Butterflies control: Concentrated insecticides are the most common used products in fighting insect infestations. They provide the safety that any insect coming into contact with the treated surfaces dies shortly.

Yellow, brown, or black spots appear on the bottom and top of affected leaves. Sometimes new shoots at the end of twigs will be infected, giving them a contorted look. Eventually, affected foliage will die and drop from the plant.

Typically, a butterfly bush will live about 10 years. You may find some plants that live longer than that, but it's a rare case. Proper care of a butterfly bush will help it live longer and thrive in your garden.

If it's late in the spring and you discover dead growth on your butterfly bush, prune it away. New growth can only come from living stems, and this should encourage it to start growing. Don't do it too early, though. A bad frost after this kind of pruning can kill back all that healthy living wood you've just exposed.

Are coffee grounds good for butterfly bushes? ›

A. Coffee grounds are a good source of slow-release nitrogen. They can be worked directly into the soil around your plants or added to your compost heap.

Liquid fertilizers (such as Miracle Gro) are mixed with water and applied the same as you would water the plant (see product for specific details). This should be done three or four times per year starting in late April and ending in mid July.

Budworm can seem like one of the most difficult pests to treat on Butterfly Bush. The larvae eat until they get so heavy that they fall off the shrub and onto the ground.

Chemical control: Controlling butterfly bush by spraying with a brush-control herbicide is somewhat effective, but for better results, cut the trunk off at the base and apply concentrated glyphosate (such as in Roundup) or triclopyr (such as in Garlon or Brush B Gon) to the freshly cut surface.

They absolutely must have full sun if you want maximum flowering. You can also avoid many butterfly bush pests and diseases by planting the shrubs in well-drained soil. Waterlogged soil leads to butterfly bush disease problems since the roots will rot.

To prune your butterfly bush, make an angled cut above where you see large leaf buds or new healthy growth is emerging. Since butterfly bush blooms on new wood, the bigger the bud you're cutting back to, the more vigorous growth you can expect! Next, prune out dead stems or leaves and shape the plant's habit.

In many cases mite populations can be reduced with insecticide soap or horticultural oil. Thorough application of pesticides to the underside of the plant foliage is essential for good control.

The damage might also be caused by a fungal or bacterial pathogen. Cool, wet spring weather encourages fungal and bacterial infections. One fungal-like disease which affects buddleia is downey mildew. It can cause necrosis of leaf tissue between the leaf veins and once the tissue dies it falls away to create holes.

Mulch the plants generously to protect them during the winter. Many gardeners prune their butterfly bushes all the way to the ground in late winter. This dormant-season pruning allows extra root and evergy reserves to quickly heal the wounds and supports vigorous spring growth.

Butterfly bush (scientific name buddleja davidii or buddleia davidii) originates from Asia, but more specifically, China and Japan. Gardeners love butterfly bushes because they quickly attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators to their gardens.