I grew a ‘Honeycomb’ butterfly bush in our front yard for several years and really enjoyed the golden-yellow flowers and the butterflies it attracted, but the Polar Vortex killed it off.
I didn’t find a replacement for several years, and when I did, I planted it on the south side of the house hoping it would be protected from harsh winters. My plant definitely likes its location, but perhaps a little too much.
The silly thing grew 11 feet tall this summer, and all of the flowers are at the very top. If there are butterflies visiting the flowers I certainly don’t know about it because they are hanging out above the roof line. I can’t even deadhead the spent flowers without a ladder.
Next spring I will keep ‘Honeycomb’ trimmed to a reasonable height so I won’t have to take a trip in a space shuttle to see the flowers.
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This is an “Em and the Butterfly Bush” (aka Jack and the Beanstalk). Your last statement is hilarious!! I personally like the smaller plant that you enjoyed for so many years in your front yard. It’s a beautiful flower.
I was going to trim my beanstalk back a bit, but lately the birds have been using at as a perch while they wait their turn at the birdfeeder. If the squirrels don’t try to climb it to get the feeder I may hold off on trimming it to a normal size until spring. 🙂
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