Blue Butterfly Clerodendrum
Little blue flowers shaped exactly like butterflies taking off. A soft, airy shrub for part shade.
Sky-blue flowers shaped like little butterflies mid-flight.
Invasive status alert
Honest caveat: UF/IFAS folks have called it an underwhelming shrub because the plant itself can look thin between bloom flushes, so treat it as a flower you visit, not a wall of green.
Why it works here
The flowers really do look like blue and violet butterflies, with one petal dropped down and long curving stamens, which are the pollen-bearing threads, arching out like antennae. It blooms on and off much of the warm season, which is most of our year, and hummingbirds and actual butterflies work it. It stays small enough for a bed or a big pot, so it is an easy accent near a patio where people can see the flowers up close.
Care
Water it in well the first couple of months, then let the top inch of soil dry between waterings. A ring of compost in spring and a couple inches of mulch, kept off the stems, is really all the feeding it needs. This one gets leggy and sparse if you leave it alone, so pinch the tips a few times a year to keep it bushy, and cut it back hard in late winter to reset the shape. Honest caveat: UF/IFAS folks have called it an underwhelming shrub because the plant itself can look thin between bloom flushes, so treat it as a flower you visit, not a wall of green.
Common problems
Legginess and bare lower stems: the main gripe. Pinch often and prune hard in late winter.
Whiteflies or spider mites in hot dry stretches: knock them back with a strong spray of water and encourage ladybugs and lacewings, which eat them.
Sparse bloom in deep shade: give it more sun.
Common questions
Is this the same as the butterfly bush people plant up north?
No. The northern butterfly bush is Buddleja. This is Rotheca, a totally different plant that happens to share the nickname. Ours handles our heat and humidity far better.
Will it survive a Stuart winter?
In most years yes. A hard cold night can burn it back, but the roots usually push new growth in spring, so I would not panic if it looks rough in January.
Can I keep it in a pot by the door?
Absolutely. It stays compact, and a pot makes it easy to admire the flowers and to pull it under cover if a real freeze threatens.
Interested in a blue butterfly clerodendrum in your landscape?
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