Is it acceptable to plant butterfly bushes in Maine if they are sterile?
Question:
Is it acceptable to plant butterfly bushes in Maine if they are sterile?
Answer:
Lynne Holland, Community Education Assistant (Home Horticulture),
Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties
That is a great question and it also brings up a problem we often face-the use of common names for items that have both invasive and non-invasive members in the plant family.
First here is a list from the state of plants that are not allowed to be imported, bought, sold, or propagated in Maine. Butterfly Bush, Buddleia davidii, is not on that list for Maine. It is on that list in other states as it is quite aggressive and can impact the plants beyond your yard. In Maine, our shorter season and colder winters can temper that aggressiveness, and obviously, if the seeds are sterile that will help as well. But that doesn’t mean it is a good idea to plant it in Maine as it is not as good or helpful to the garden as a native plant would be for pollinators, insects, and bird communities in your yard.
Butterfly weed (Asclepias Family) is a much better choice for Maine yards, especially if attracting butterflies is the desired result. For flowers similar in color to Butterfly Bush consider this article from the Wild Seed Project and their resources, including a comprehensive list of plants for some alternatives.