Here in Michigan we finally got some much-needed rain over the weekend! I spent a good deal of time in the garden just the same. I don't know about you, but I like gardening in the rain, the soil isn't dusty and if the skies are anything like it was this weekend, you can get a plant in the ground and it gets a good soaking afterward without ever having to turn on the hose. Plus, when it rained really hard it forced me to go inside and rest, which isn't always the case once I put on my gardening gloves, even if I only intended to do one or two things...
While this week's plant isn't one I put in the ground over the weekend, it's still an amazing pollinator which I may need to carve out some space for. But not too much! It's a fun dwarf butterfly bush that is also non-invasive (even though Buddleia isn't really a pest in Michigan) and I just love the bright pink color.
Read on for more info about Jane's plant of the week, Lo&Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' Buddleia - maybe it will be your next garden addition!
- Natalie
Flowers, but no seedlings.
Like the other Lo & Behold® Buddleia, Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' is a non-invasive selection that will not produce unwanted seedlings in landscapes. If you are in a state (like Oregon) or region that restricts Buddleia because of concerns about it being invasive, this is a great option. It's featured in a recent Garden Answer showing a new planting in one of Laura's gardens. As she is in Oregon, she makes a point to explain how Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' is permitted for sale in Oregon.Like all Buddleia, Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' will do best in full sun and well-drained soil. These two elements are especially important in colder climates, where I recommend planting them early in the season to give them plenty of time to establish before winter. They are hardy to USDA Zone 5.
The Lo & Behold® varieties are all dwarf, and so will not grow as tall or as vigorously as traditional buddleia. Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' grows to just 2' tall and wide!
The deal with dwarf plants.Dwarf plants are nice additions to a nursery inventory and landscapes. But they can have slightly different cultural requirements than traditional varieties.
The first thing to consider is growth rate. Dwarf plants will typically not grow quite as fast as full-sized varieties; there's often a trade-off between vigor and mature size. This doesn't mean that they aren't good growers, but they may need more time to reach maturity than older varieties do.
This applies in the landscape, too. Typically with a dwarf variety, what you see is what you will get, at least for the first season.
When planting a dwarf variety in the more extreme parts of the genera's range, it's a good idea to plant as early in the season as possible. For example, a dwarf Buddleia like Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' will come through a cold Zone 5 winter better if it's planted in spring and has all summer and fall to establish. Butterfly bushes are often killed to the ground in cold climates; an established plant will have an easier time coming back from its roots than one that was planted in the fall.
Finally, remember that dwarf is a relative term. It doesn't necessarily mean petite; it implies that the plant is significantly smaller than the species. So if Buddleia in your area grow to 10'+, even the dwarf selections will get taller than they would in colder climates.
Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.
