Blue Butterfly Plant Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense' Height: 8 feet Spread: 8 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 8b Other Names: Clerodendrum myricoides, C. ugandense, Glorybower Description: A wonderful open, evergreen shrub that produces stunning blue and white flowers that resemble butterflies in flight; prune back continually to keep the plant more compact; drought tolerant once established; best in frost free areas Ornamental Features Blue Butterfly Plant is bathed in stunning panicles of blue orchid-like flowers with white overtones at the ends of the branches from early spring to mid fall. It has green evergreen foliage. The glossy oval leaves remain green throughout the winter. It produces black berries in early summer. Landscape Attributes Blue Butterfly Plant is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics. Blue Butterfly Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Blue Butterfly Plant will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. Blue Butterfly Plant makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
