Have you ever noticed the pictures of butterfly bushes (buddleia) in garden catalogs? I’ve often been suspicious that companies stage the photos with fake butterflies because the plants are just plastered with them.
Having grown my own butterfly bushes for many years now, I can attest to their crazy butterfly magnetism. On a sunny summer day my plants look just like the ones featured in those catalogs.
Swallowtails, Monarchs, skippers, hairstreaks, Painted Ladies, Great Spangled Fritillaries and other butterflies flock to the arching flowers. As an added bonus, the plants are also a favorite of bees and hummingbirds.
The best part is that the flowers almost seem to mesmerize the butterflies. You can get within inches of them with your camera and they are so busy sipping nectar, they won’t budge.
