Butterfly bushes are becoming more popular and plenty of people are planting them.  Just be careful because they can attract bees as well.

a.  Find a planting area that has full sun and soil that is well drained and moist.  Use a tiller or spade to cultivate to a depth of twelve to fifteen inches.  Use rich compost to amend the soil.

b.  Make certain that the holes you dig are two times the diameter of the plant and five to ten feet apart.  The bushes will grow anywhere from five to ten feet tall and wide. The best spot for them is at the rear of your perennial garden.

c.   Take the plant from the pot carefully, and make certain that its planted at the same level in the ground as it was in the pot.  Use loose soil to fill around the root ball gently, top that with a thin layer of mulch and then water the bush thoroughly.

d.   Each spring, make certain that you dress the top of the butterfly bush with additional mulch and compost, and use a light application of fertilizer to feed it.

e.   If it's a dry summer with less than an inch of rainfall a week, water the butterfly bush deeply a few times during the summer.

f.  If the bush is pruned nearly to the ground before the new buds appear, you'll get a bushier plant and more blooms.