Nanho Blue Butterfly Bush

Nanho Blue Butterfly Bush

I try not to focus on any particular plant as it may not do the property owner any particular favor simply because I am so damn fond of it - it may not fit their landscape or the application.

Yet, I recently told a provider I needed two more Nanho Blue Butterfly Bushes and he said, "I'll order ten to keep in stock. I think you are eating these."

I planted several over the last year. The first one I planted was in a 3-gallon pot. I used it to cover the corner of a home to add contrasting color to a plant bed I had designed.

The new plant was due to receive an ample amount of morning to mid-day sun and the property owner has become quite the master of irrigation.

Within a season, his Nanho Blue had reached a height of about six feet and four feet wide and projected forward, toward the sunlight, about four feet. It was and is, still gorgeous. I'm on the property often and have needed to prune it three times. So, in the proper location and environment, it is not low-maintenance, but the Nanho Blue is damn well worth it.

I originally chose a whimsical, but wimpy trellis to support and train it to. It wasn't long after that when I had to provide something more substantial. Short of some vines and the occasional Sunshine Ligustrum (another beautiful favorite), this Nanho Blue is one of the fastest growing plants I have ever experienced. With its branching habit and its tendency to cascade, it will easily consume a fair portion of your plant bed or garden - not a bad choice at all, real estate-wise. 

I wish I could provide a better photo of the plant. The blooms actually range from a light blue to a violet here in the Midlands, from my experience. I haven't seen the deep purple color, which is fine with me. Considered deciduous, the loss of foliage is not long.

To me, the Nanho Blue is a feature or specimen plant best suited against a foundation or centered (or cornered) in a plant bed (with support) facing sunward.

On the flip-side, I can't wait to a find a property with an arbor or other structure (or perhaps no support at all) and the proper sun path, to install one of these smack dab in the middle of one's yard. They truly are beautiful.

With some proper pruning, they are easily manageable.

And, so many flying insects and pollinators love them.

In the proper location, you will never regret; yet, enjoy a Nanho Blue Butterfly Bush on your property for many, many years.