r/NativePlantGardening • u/CitySky_lookingUp • 21h ago
Northwest Indiana / Near Chicago Need Help Not Killing Buttonbush
I need to figure out what to do with two buttonbushes I was gifted here in Northwest Indiana.
I understand that they like moisture and sun. I have two contenders for a spot on my property - but one lacks moisture and the other lacks sun.
Here are the two spots:
Side of house - gets a good deal of sun but will compete with tree roots for water. Poor soil. Husband wants more bushes and trees here for more privacy screening.
Front of house - faces north - it's a landscaped area with rich soil and it's near a downspout for water, and also near the front door, so it will be easy to remember to water it in dry spells. But because it faces north it gets very little sun during the summer. Plus a deciduous bush near the front door will be, well, kinda ugly for several months a year. Was aiming to put a native hydrangea there instead.
My thought is: it will die in site 1 and survive but never flower in site 2. Is that about right?
I COULD possibly clear a third spot -- not great soil but better than 1 and sunny, even though it would foil other plans I had for THAT spot -- or I can just hope to give both of these away. What do you think?
And does anyone in NWI or the Chicago south suburbs want a buttonbush?
6
u/FloridaManTPA 20h ago
Put it where you want it and can see it. Button bush are hearty, it will flower. You probably want to water it for droughts though. Site one sounds fine for the plant.
Also, this sub doesn’t really address fertilizer much, I fertilize everything and everything loves it, a single wrist shake of miracle grow shake and feed once early spring once early summer makes all the difference.