Do your bees like them? My butterfly bush was huge this year and full of blossoms, but my girls didn't show the least bit of interest. The bumbles would stop by from time to time, but no honey bees at all.

 

I didn't have any until now. But, I watched a butterfly bush in town periodically in town while on patrol and always observed tons of bees and every other pollinator on the bush. It was a big smorgasbord extravaganza!

 

abalanton, have you not learned that your bees in your yard will not work it, seem that they wanted to go 2 miles to get the flow than touch anything blooming in the yard, they touched nothing in my yard this year.

kebee

 

I am putting these bushes 1/4 mile from the hives in my yard...Lot of truth in what you say Kebee because I saw bees in the front of my property but not so much in the back by the hives where I planted lots of goodies for them.

 

I didn't have any until now. But, I watched a butterfly bush in town periodically in town while on patrol and always observed tons of bees and every other pollinator on the bush. It was a big smorgasbord extravaganza!

Is there any way to find out which variety that bush is? I always wonder if some varieties are more attractive to honey bees or if that happens to be the best nectar choice at the time of blooming.

 

Well two is more than you need. I put in about a dozen along the highway and all of a sudden I have them in my blueberries 50 to 75 yards away (on the other side of the berm). The dang things grow 10’ tall, you can cut a limb and stick it in the ground and they will grow. Many types are considered an invasive species out here so you should be able to propagate them without much trouble.

 

You are absolutely right Minz, the one I saw this summer was every bit of 10 feet tall. I will be careful where I plant them...

 

We have several butterfly bushes...We started with 3 purchased as you did, Dave, on clearance. One of our best buys, I think!
The honey bees prefer this color over the blue, but only when other things are not blooming...it seems so any way, I would like to know if the lighter pinks or whites work as well for honey bees

I have propagated 8 or so successfully, from the older ones trimmings with some success. Now if I planted them properly, in fancy rooting soil and buckets, rather than just shoving the branches in the dirt...screwdriver hole, shove in the stick past the nodules and wait. Propagating this way, works best around the edges of the ponds :grin:

this is the blue one they are less interested in, and they do grow big after 3 years...

This deep red purple (left of the maple in photo) one is 6 years old, and the one they favor. the same bush the honey bee pic was taken.

The chickens like it too for their afternoon naps.

 

yeah you only need one of each color then clone branches off of it a year later when the wood is nice and soft and the bush is growing....but I never notice too many bee's on mine either it just brings in the butterflies and some hummingbirds.... sometimes bumbles end up on them but they quickly change their mind and work back to herb gardens

 

Tonja and Steve: I am diggin your large windows. My wife would love the sun that those would allow in! Very nice and neat looking property. I like it!

Thanks for the great photos. I have the light and dark pink bushes ("Black Knight" and "Pink Delight"). I would like to have a blue one just because I like blue. I should add, I am not entirely set on planting these for honey bees. I want them for all pollinators to enjoy and use. I can sit and watch a butterfly bush as long as I can watch a hive work...good stuff!

 

Thanks, Dave, It is very peaceful here, and we like the windows, too, except for in the hot part of summer! Steve and I did all the landscaping and planting by hand, with hardly more than a shovel.... Only tree and such in the yard was the one sunset maple, and two azaleas, irises and lilies. Every other plant or tree was added since 2006. Much heart and soul in the whole thing many were gifts or traded from neighbors.
Thanks for the compliment.

 

Your black night one looks like the one of ours they like. Anxious to see if you find they like the light pink one, too. I haven't one.

 

I have a 10 ft tall white butterfly bush, and while it is not the bees preferred bush to work (they love the vitex most), they will work it. I bought a purple back in july but the weather got too hot for me to plant it, I guess I will pick a spot far from the hives so they will visit it.

Maybe by my eunomous (sp) and cherry laurel, which they enjoy.

Do they get ANYTHING from crape myrtle? Because I am going to take my big one down, and I have a young one I started from a cutting that I am considering taking down and replacing with a butterfly bush

 

I heard rumored that they like the white crepe myrtle best, but not tried it myself... I have two shades of pink and they don't seem to pay either much attention.

 

They showed little interest in my pink ones this year. The white ones were covered in bees every day, but they didn't seem to get anything out of them. NO honey production at all. All I can figure is that they were getting pollen. My trees are very large, so it was too high for me to tell if they had pollen on their legs.

 

I have 2, the dark "cranberry" pink and the only time I saw a bee on it, I had a swarm in it. I went oh, wow, they finally found the flowers. Until I saw the big clump....

I think I'm cutting both down and replacing. I picked up a couple of more Vitex and 3 Rose of Sharon (althea) at Plant Shed for 80% off Saturday. I know they like both.

 

I see many bumbles on my rose of sharon, but have never seen more than one or two honeybees on it. The japanese beetles LOVE it.

 

Butterfly bush will propagate from a cut limb stuck in the ground? Hmmmmm... I could handle another white one.

Well two is more than you need. I put in about a dozen along the highway and all of a sudden I have them in my blueberries 50 to 75 yards away (on the other side of the berm). The dang things grow 10’ tall, you can cut a limb and stick it in the ground and they will grow. Many types are considered an invasive species out here so you should be able to propagate them without much trouble.

 

I see many bumbles on my rose of sharon, but have never seen more than one or two honeybees on it. The japanese beetles LOVE it.

Maybe desperation is required, because the honeybees were after my neighbor's rose of sharon, but we have so little out here besides grassland, they may have been desperate.

At $8 apiece for a 5 gallon shrub, the fact that I really don't think Rose of Sharon's are all that pretty didn't affect my decision. I Sure hope I bought bee fodder.

 

Yours may do better. When mine blooms, there are many things blooming.

 

There were hundreds on the ligustrums at the house we did the cut out. The fragrance was over powering and the honey was really very abundant in that cutout. This may be another honey source to consider. It bloom, May 26th, after the blackberries and before the sourwoods in this area.

This location is a half mile, down the road from us. They are massive and overgrown. We hope they don't cut them down when they knock down that house.

 

I have either Ligustrum or Cherry laurel the birds planted. Bee inspector said it was cherry laurel, whatever it is the bees love it. Texas Invasives website says ligustrum is horribly invasive - and I really think that is what this is. The leaves are rounder than cherry laurel. But again, the bees love it...

 

Yes Gypsi, I am all for going native as much as I can and try to use a lesser amount of imported invasives. Ligustrums are generally (legustrum japonica) imported. In my Japanese Garden I have some invasives, but many plants are taken from our own wooded areas too. Non native plants can do screwy things to the environment in large quantities, like kudzu and bamboo for example. Our AG guy detests the bradford pears being pumped out at the many home centers...They carry bacteria spores like fire blight, and such that. Moderation again I think is important and good honey bee food is as well.

 

anyone planting?

 

Not for a while....