Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'

Questions about Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'

Does Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' need sun or shade?

Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to late August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' be planted?

10 in (25 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 12 in (30 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' plants do I need?

At 10 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 17 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 13 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 55 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.

Is Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the young growth and seeds, are highly poisonous if eaten.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'?

These come closest to doing what Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Speedwell 'Red Fox': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; pink, not blue, medium leaves, not fine.
• Blanket flower 'Goblin': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid June to early October, red, not blue.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'?

Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
• Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall.

What does Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' look like in winter?

Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' good for bees and butterflies?

Chinese delphinium 'Blue Butterfly' is visited by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.