'CORLISS CLIPS' ~ July/August 2011/Page 2

Corliss Clips
July/August 2011..... Page 2

Let's indulge ourselves, as we peruse the sweet
blooms of summer!

Buddleia davidii

Buddleia davidii (Family: Loganiaceae) may be more familiar by its common name of Butterfly Bush (sometimes, Summer Lilac). If you want to attract butterflies, you must make room for at least one of these beauties. It is a monarch-magnet, attracting a horde of other butterflies, a variety of bees and hummingbird moths. These blossoms are so nectar-rich, that hummingbirds will dine, as well.

Hardy from Zones 5-9, we are about at the northern limit of hardiness for Buddleia. It really amounts to a woody perennial, rather than a shrub, since it usually dies back nearly to the ground. These plants fall in the 5-10' range, with the 'Nanho' series being more compact at 3-5 feet high. The newer 'English Butterfly' series is a good choice for smaller gardens.

Flowers are borne in upright or arching panicles, from 4-10" long, depending on variety. The foliage varies from dark green to grayish green, with a whitish cast (tomentose) on the undersides. I remain particularly fond of the taller specimens, which are perfect as a seasonal screen, especially nice in a tall, mixed shrub border. My old, mature 'Royal Red', sort of a deep burgundy, stands tall and proud (at 8-9' high), shouldering its way above a forest of 4-5' sunflowers. Eye-catching color contrast! Add to this, goldfinches feasting on the sunflowers, monarchs on the butterfly bush and you've got an instant wildlife sanctuary and a summer - early fall spectacular.

From these wonderful photos, you can see some of the amazing colors available. Add to the traditional blue, violet, burgundy, pink and white hybrids, several yellow or yellow/orange specimens, and you have quite a range from which to choose. Butterfly bush needs good drainage, moderate moisture, full sun and a protected location... in the lee of a fence or building or surrounded by other plant material. Mine is right alongside the road, but is protected by a fence to the north and adjacent evergreens. Every fall, it is cut back by about half its height. This eliminates winter damage, but protects the crown. In spring, it is pruned back to about 10-12" from the ground - in no time, it's 8-9' once again.

Oh, and did I mention that it has a light, sweet fragrance that even we humans can detect? In my humble opinion, no garden or backyard naturalist should be without at least one butterfly bush! As for the above visitor, it is a member of the clearwing hummingbird moth family. It more closely resembles the bumblebee moth. For a peek at these attractive moths, go to What's That Bug. You'll find a host of sphinx moth relatives on this particular page.

Clethra alnifolia

Summersweet and sweet pepperbush are common names for this uncommonly valuable landscape specimen. Clethra (Clethraceae/White Alder family) alnifolia (means alder-leaved) is native to the east coast of North America, from Maine to Florida. In the wild, C. alnifolia reaches 10 feet in height, by 8 feet wide/in cultivation, 6-8' high x 6-8' wide. A close relative, C. acuminata is also native, but is tall (to 18') and too rangy and open in habit, for most ornamental uses. In 1770, an improvement of alnifolia, by the name of 'Paniculata' was introduced - prized for vigorous habit and larger panicles of flowers.

As these top three photos indicate, blossoms are borne in terminal panicles. Sadly, what they cannot indicate, is the incredible fragrance cast upon the summer breezes, from mid/late July to mid/late August. I have a cluster of 'Paniculata' just below bedroom windows and for about one month, am lulled to sleep, as a window fan pulls in their perfume on the night air - it makes me glad I'm not all sealed in with air conditioning! (I have another month in early summer when my house is perfumed with the scent of tree lilacs - Syringa reticulata.) Anyway, since 'Paniculata' was introduced, much hybridization has resulted in a wider range of height, color and form.
In the 5-6' range, look for the pink-flowered 'Rosea' and 'Pink Spire'. Great for massing in borders, or for smaller landscapes, consider the compact, mounded growth habit of the white-flowered 'Hummingbird' and 'Sixteen Candles'.

As September nears, this is about the state of my Clethra plants, as well... a few lingering blooms, with fruits starting to form. These dry fruits may persist for 1-2 years, without pruning. I knew what I was getting into, before I decided on Clethra. It needs a fairly wet location, somewhat acidic soil and accepts full sun (fullest growth/best blooms) to partial shade.

I wanted to locate my group of three in partial sun, damp soil, next to a birdbath and in a space where it could stretch out. Perfect! Because when I consider its location and habits, along the banks of our local pond, our native specimens enjoy very similar conditions. They have plenty of room to stretch out, or colonize. In other words, these deciduous shrubs continue to spread and fill in an area, over time, in much the same way as red or yellow twig dogwoods... maybe a little better mannered/not quite as aggressive. This is a wonderful attribute to look for, where space permits and where erosion control is a concern. Clethra spreads fairly slowly, by rhizomes, and is easily contained in the shrub border.

The rest of the summersweet tale? The showy, fragrant flowers attract bees and butterflies; in fact, I've noticed the hummingbird moth frequenting my Clethras. Fall foliage is a strong yellow, remaining for an extended period. The persistent, dried fruits are attractive during winter. Clethra lends itself to hedging and mass plantings. Any pruning to maintain height and spread, can be done in early spring, since buds form on new, spring wood. Pests and problems are almost non-existent... in very dry seasons, spider mites may need controlling. With a USDA rating of Zone 3 to 9, hardiness is not an issue.

Conclusion: If space permits and you can easily meet the cultural requirements of Clethra alnifolia, or one of its hybrids, why don't you already have one (or more)? With space at a premium in today's suburban landscapes, we want multiple-use, extended-season, easy-care specimens. This one fills the bill!

(July/August continues on Page 3)

©DJL/CBI 2011

Photos ©CBI 2007