Butterfly bushes pros and cons please (flowers, grown, veggies, backyard)

[sfalady]

Last fall I saw a butterfly bush and I just loved it. I would like to plant one however, I have had several people say it is not a good plant because it grows to wild.. Others have said they just love theirs.. Any opinions from the real gardeners on the list ? The most I have ever grown is veggies but I would like to try something that flowers and is fragrant and requires little care..
Thanks

[boardmember10000]

We have one in our backyard and it does produce really pretty flowers that last for a large part of late summer. It can get big and dominate part of your garden but I have cut it back (almost to nothing) at the end of the season and it doesn't start to grow back until the weather is warm.

[Waterboy526]

I like them. They do grow fast, but you can cut them back to almost nothing and they will regrow every single year.

[scrappinJudy]

i love them. Also, if you deadhead the blossoms, they will rebloom the same year. not fragrant though, if that is what you want.

[bazers]

There are newer "small" butterfly bushes that came out last year. I think they are called "knee high". Butterfly bushes will spread their seeds but the little plants are very easy to pull up -- and there aren't many of them that will sprout.

But butterfly bushes take a lot less maintenance then a lot of other plants.

[askhery]

I adore my butterfly bush, I say GO FOR IT!

[cncsmomndad]

Butterfly bushes will get very large and are not very fragrant. Trim them down while dormant to keep their size in check. We love to watch the bees and butterflies at the 2 we have by the patio and have even seen hummingbirds checking them out. They seem to grow in a fairly uniform shape. Ours already have leafed out a little bit. DH says the dark purple ones attract the most butterflies but ours are yellow and seem to do just fine in that department.

[bcattwood]

I have several and they can get to be beasts! I trim them down to about a foot in the winter and by September they are at least six feet tall again. Very low maintanence except for the one afternoon a winter where you need to have at them with the hedge trimmers and pruners.

[lamishra]

I agree with everyone else. They're not difficult to maintain at all, but they grow very fast and can get huge. They look beautful when blooming and do attract all sorts of butterflies and hummingbirds like them as well. I cut mine back almost to the ground every fall and it grows back to full height in the spring. They seem to be very drought and disease resistant!

[LilWorld]

I know this is slightly off-topic. But will butterfly bushes grow in a container?

Thanks!