The butterfly bush is simply a must for many hobby gardeners. No wonder, because the many species of butterflies that it attracts make the garden particularly attractive. In addition, you are providing the insects with plenty of food and doing something really good for them when you plant butterfly lilac - or are you? He is increasingly coming under criticism. It is far too invasive and not as good for our native insects as many people assume. We explain what lies behind this claim.
The magnetic butterfly lilac – which butterflies and insects does it attract?
There is hardly anyone who doesn't love watching these colorful butterflies. Rare specimens, such as the swallowtail, are always a great joy. And during the flowering period ofJune to OctoberThe butterfly bush ensures an impressive diversity of species. This is particularly the case in the months of July to September. What types of butterflies can you expect to see if you plant a butterfly lilac?
- Admiral
- Brauner Waldvogel (Schornsteinfeger)
- C-Falter
- Painted Lady
- Large cabbage white butterfly
- Big oxeye
- Kaisermantel
- Karstweißling
- Little fox
- Small cabbage white butterfly
- Mullein Monk
- Map
- Kidneyspot Hairstreak
- Rapsweißling
- Russian bear
- Checkerboard
- Schwalbenschwanz
- Sail butterfly
- Silvery fritillary butterfly
- Tagpfauenauge
- Brimstone butterfly
Planting butterfly lilac – who else does it attract?
The butterfly lilac provides food for butterflies, but not only! But who eats butterfly lilac anymore? Also other insects likeBumblebees and beesfeel attracted to him. You can even increasingly see the interesting pigeon-tailed bird, which is so reminiscent of a hummingbird. At night, when all these garden visitors are resting, the moths (e.g. the gamma owl) appear again, which is also a beautiful sight.
What attracts insects so strongly?
There are many flowers that attract butterflies.But the buddleiaor Buddleja davidii, as the shrub is also called, seems to be able to do this particularly well. But why does the butterfly lilac attract butterflies? On the one hand, it is the attractive color - the purple is extremely attractive to insects. On the other hand, this is further enhanced by the scent.
Apparently the fragrant flowers with their nectar are a real treat for the little garden residents and it looks like you are doing something good when you plant butterfly lilacs. So why does he have such a bad reputation among some people?
The negative sides of the buddleia
The beautiful butterfly bush is not a native plant. He originally comes from Tibet and China. This makes it a so-called neophyte, a “new citizen” to which our insects are not adapted. While this is not a problem for some other neophytes (Mediterranean herbal plantsfor example, are of great benefit to our insect world, while others have no influence at all), this is not the case with this shrub. We will now explain to you why butterfly lilac is not good for butterflies:
- It is very invasive. The butterfly tree produces extremely large quantities of seeds, which means it spreads rapidly. And even though the shrub itself looks wonderful and beautifies even the most unattractive corners, it displaces other native specimens that our insect species need.
- The lilac is said to make butterflies drunk, making them easier victims for birds and other insectivorous animals. However, this claim is based solely on observations by a butterfly expert and is not based on any other evidence. However, the caffeine contained in the nectar actually makes them addictive.
- At the same time, the nectar is not particularly high quality. The result: the insects are attracted, but don't get what they need. You waste your time looking for unavailable food instead of reproducing. This applies not only to butterflies, but to all types of insects that are attracted to them.
- It's not enough if you just plant butterfly lilacs. As beneficial as it seems to be, it doesn't offer everything we need for our native insects. Because before the moth becomes a moth, it is, among other things, a caterpillar that also needs food. So provide them with food too, for example by creating a small corner with suitable plants (e.g. nettles, loosestrife, buckthorn, common waterweed, horn trefoil, cabbage, wild carrot, wild fennel and some grasses).
What can you plant instead of butterfly lilac?
If you already have this type of lilac in your garden, you can limit propagation by cutting off the spent flowers immediately, before seeds have formed. Additionally, ensure biodiversity by adding other nectar-rich native plants to your garden.Phlox, for exampleis very popular with nectar-sucking insect species.
If you are still thinking about it,a lilac bushTo buy one, you could also choose the common lilac instead, which is no less beautiful and even has other flower colors to offer. Either way, you are doing something good for all our insects with native wild perennials, and this also applies to the endangered species.
The following flowers, among others, provide plenty of food for butterflies, caterpillars and other insect species:
- Bartblume
- Blaukissen
- Dill
- Thistles, including globe thistle and sweet thistle
- Fetthenne
- Common privet
- Ordinary water dost
- Autumn aster
- Hornklee
- Jelängerjelieber – honeysuckle
- Judasstaler
- Nasturtium
- Carthusian cloves
- Lavender
- Natternkopf
- Phlox
- Splendor
- Red currant
- Sal willow
- Steinkraut
- Thymian
- St. John's wort
- Fragrant violet
- Wiesenflockenblume
- Wild marjoram (oregano, common dost)
- zinnias
