A bush by any other name ... is a weed.

Byline: Matt Cooper The Register-Guard

The popular butterfly bush has showy flowers and an alluring nectar that make it a friend to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

But it's no friend to native plants, and now the innocently named bush is on the state's hit list.

The State Weed Board recently added the butterfly bush to its noxious weed list, a move that will prompt nurseries and gardeners to bone up on safe forms of the plant.

"It's a popular ornamental plant, but it has extremely invasive qualities," said Tim Butler, supervisor of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed Program. "Like other noxious weeds, it is very competitive with native plants."

Officials have targeted only the original form of the species - Buddleja davidii - and said that there are other varieties, called "cultivars," that aren't thought to be harmful.

Last year in Coos County, large populations of the bush were found hindering Douglas fir seedlings planted for reforestation. The site was miles from housing, suggesting that seeds from the bush fly far in the wind, Butler said.

The bush was placed on the "B" list, meaning it can be expensive for the timber industry and other businesses to fight, and that control - rather than eradication - is the best solution.

By comparison, an A-rated weed such as giant hogweed is less prevalent but carries a high threat to natural resources or the economy, and elimination is the goal.

The butterfly bush flowers around July and officials are focusing only on wild populations, so they won't be pulling any prized possessions from your backyard.

Gardeners should stick to the cultivars, stop seedlings from spreading and - as with all yard debris - don't dump in natural areas.

Nurseries, meanwhile, should consider "phasing out" the original species, Butler said, because the state could place it under quarantine, which means a prohibition on selling or planting it.

Cultivars of the butterfly bush are common at nurseries across Eugene-Springfield. But Jill Decker Brown, co-owner of Decker Nursery near Fern Ridge Lake, said she knew of no nurseries that carry the original species.

The cultivars aren't a substantial seller for Decker, but they are popular and she's hoping buyers will educate themselves on safe varieties.

The cultivars "have wonderful colors of blooms," she said. "They attract bees wonderfully, and we've needed that for a long time. And they're extremely fragrant. I don't see any problems with the cultivars at all."

Scientists also are studying the cultivars to ensure that they're harmless.

"There are many cultivars of the plant," said Don Richards, a nursery industry representative on the weed board. "If some are found to be a problem, growers just won't produce them anymore."

BUTTERFLY BUSHWHACKED

The state wants to control the popular butterfly bush in wild areas.

More information: Call the Oregon Department of Agriculture at [phone].

CAPTION(S):

A Western Tiger Swallowtail takes a break on a butterfly bush flower.