![]() This species is quick to mature, often producing seeds during its first year of growth. The germination rate of several cultivars was 80 percent or higher. A study at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania found that a single flower spike produced 40,000 seeds. Initial densities of seedlings along open areas of riverbanks and sandbars can be very high and mature butterfly bush stands keep out native willows and other woody vegetation that would normally re-vegetate riverbanks after floods.īutterfly bush spreads by producing abundant amounts of very lightweight, winged seeds that are dispersed by wind and water over many miles. Invasion of butterfly bush along riversides is especially problematic, because it forms dense thickets, crowds out native vegetation, and disrupts natural succession patterns. Seeds require exposed soil to germinate successfully and seedlings are not often seen in improved garden soils or well-maintained landscapes.īutterfly bush colonizes disturbed areas such as riversides, roadsides, railroads, pastures, and recently logged or burned forests. It can tolerate drought and low-nutrient soil and can grow in very challenging conditions, such as cracks in the pavement and along railroads.
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