Clerodendrum Ugandense ‘Blue Butterfly Bush’ Live Plant – 1-2 ft – Ships in 6″ pot

Overview

Introduce a touch of unique beauty to your garden with the Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant. Often referred to as the blue butterfly bush, this captivating shrub is celebrated for its distinctive pale blue and white flowers that resemble butterflies in flight. Native to East Africa, the Clerodendrum Ugandense is a vigorous grower that can bring an exotic and enchanting atmosphere to any landscape. This particular specimen ships as a healthy 1-2 ft plant in a 6-inch pot, ready to establish itself and flourish in its new home. Its striking blooms attract pollinators, making it an excellent choice for a wildlife-friendly garden.

The Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant is a fantastic option for gardeners seeking a plant that combines visual appeal with relative ease of care. Its unique floral structure, with four sky-blue petals and a fifth, darker blue petal, creates a truly mesmerizing display. Whether you’re an experienced horticulturist or a budding enthusiast, this plant promises to be a rewarding addition, offering continuous blooms and a delightful presence throughout the growing season.

Key Benefits

The Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant offers a multitude of benefits that make it a highly desirable addition to various garden settings. Its aesthetic appeal is undeniable, drawing the eye with its delicate yet vibrant flowers. Beyond its beauty, this plant contributes positively to the local ecosystem and provides a relatively hassle-free gardening experience.

• Stunning Floral Display: The primary attraction of the Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant is its exquisite pale blue and white flowers. These unique blooms, resembling butterflies, create a dynamic and captivating visual interest in any garden space, ensuring a continuous show of color from spring through fall.
• Attracts Pollinators: As a true blue butterfly bush, this plant is a magnet for butterflies, bees, and other beneficial pollinators. Planting it can help support local ecosystems and encourage biodiversity in your garden, making it a living, buzzing haven.
• Low Maintenance: This shrub is known for its resilience and adaptability, requiring minimal fuss once established. It’s an excellent choice for gardeners who desire beautiful results without extensive upkeep, fitting perfectly into a busy lifestyle.
• Vigorous Growth Habit: The Clerodendrum Ugandense grows vigorously, quickly filling out spaces and providing lush foliage. This rapid growth means you won’t have to wait long to enjoy its full beauty and impact in your landscape design.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Suitable for a variety of garden applications, this shrub can be used as a standalone specimen, in mixed borders, or even grown in large containers. Its adaptable nature makes it a flexible choice for diverse garden styles and sizes.
• Unique and Exotic Appeal: The distinctive appearance of the flowers sets this plant apart. It adds an exotic touch to any garden, creating a conversation piece and a focal point that is sure to impress visitors and delight residents.
• Extended Bloom Period: Enjoy the beauty of the blue butterfly bush for an extended period. With proper care, it can flower for several months, providing long-lasting color and vibrancy when many other plants have finished their display.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant is relatively straightforward, ensuring a rewarding experience with beautiful blooms. This shrub thrives in conditions that mimic its native habitat, which generally means plenty of sunshine and consistent moisture. When planting, choose a location that receives ample sunlight. It performs best in full sun to partial shade, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to protect the plant from intense heat and prevent leaf scorch. Ensure good air circulation around the plant to prevent fungal issues.

Watering is crucial, especially during the establishment phase and dry spells. The Clerodendrum plant care routine should include regular, deep watering to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Well-draining soil is essential to prevent root rot. A rich, loamy soil amended with organic matter will provide the best growing medium. Fertilize during the active growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer to encourage vigorous growth and abundant flowering. Pruning can be done in late winter or early spring to shape the plant, remove any dead or leggy growth, and promote a bushier habit. This also helps maintain the desired size and encourages more blooms from your low maintenance flowering shrub.

The blue butterfly bush is generally resilient to pests and diseases, but always monitor for common garden issues like aphids or spider mites. Address any problems promptly with appropriate organic or chemical treatments. This plant is known for being a robust outdoor specimen, and with consistent attention to its basic needs, it will provide years of vibrant color and a charming presence in your garden.

Size & Details

This offering is for a healthy Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant, standing approximately 1-2 feet tall from the base of the plant to the top. It ships securely in a 6-inch nursery pot, ensuring its roots are well-established and ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. The plant is typically well-branched, showcasing the potential for its future mature form. While growth rates can vary based on conditions, the Clerodendrum Ugandense is known for its relatively fast growth, quickly reaching its mature size of 6-10 feet in height and spread when planted in optimal conditions. Expect continuous blooming throughout the warmer months, providing a long season of enjoyment. The plant’s vigorous nature means it will quickly become a prominent feature in your landscape, developing into a substantial and beautiful butterfly bush outdoor plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant typically grows to a mature size of 6-10 feet in both height and spread, forming a substantial and attractive shrub. Its size can be managed with regular pruning.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This plant ships in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a healthy root system ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger decorative container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The blue butterfly bush is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in garden settings where it can receive ample sunlight and space to grow. It is best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones where winter temperatures are not too harsh.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth and flowering, the Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant requires full sun to partial shade, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. In very hot climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, this is considered a low maintenance flowering shrub. Once established, it is quite robust and requires basic care such as regular watering, occasional feeding, and pruning to maintain its shape and encourage blooms.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Clerodendrum Ugandense live plant will arrive carefully packed and in good health, ready for planting. We take great care to ensure the plant endures the shipping process well.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: With proper care and favorable conditions, your plant should begin to produce its characteristic blue and white ‘butterfly’ flowers during its first growing season, typically from late spring through fall.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The Clerodendrum Ugandense is generally hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. In colder zones, it can be grown as an annual or brought indoors during winter as a container plant.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature it can tolerate? A: This plant is sensitive to frost. While mature plants might tolerate a very light, brief frost, it generally prefers temperatures above 40°F (4°C) to thrive and avoid damage.
• Q: Does this plant attract real butterflies? A: Yes, the common name blue butterfly bush is well-earned. The nectar-rich flowers are very attractive to butterflies and other pollinators, making it a wonderful addition to a pollinator garden.