These plants bloom only on new wood. I learned a hard lesson. If I cut them back in the fall, they die. If I leave them through the winter, and cut them back in the spring, they survive the coldest winters. Flowers start opening in late July.
Butterflies seem to find it the minute the first flower opens.
Some fascinating research about the relationship between the nectar and flower color of these bushes has taken place. If growing in containers, be sure to look for the compact varieties. We'll continue this discussion by talking about bulbs that thrive in the shade. The Enabling Garden is just one of the 28 different gardening topics you can visit here on Suite 101, covering everything from Amaryllis to zucchini. Suite 101 offers you the best of the World Wide Web, with great articles and links to the very best sites for over 200 different topics in 17 categories.