Butterfly Bush

The butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a beautiful, fast-growing, deciduous shrub with masses of blossoms—long, spiked trusses—that bloom from summer to autumn. The shrub is low-maintenance, only requiring dead-heading and annual pruning in later winter to encourage flowers and a compact shape.
Despite the “butterfly” name, keep in mind that this shrub is not a host plant for butterflies in that it does not support butterfly reproduction and lifecycle. Caterpillars do not feed on butterfly bushes; rather, it only provides nectar to adult butterflies. If you do have a butterfly bush, be sure to add native host plants such as milkweed, aster, and dill if you want the butterflies to stay.

Butterfly Bush Black Knight dark violet-purple

Butterfly Bush Cranrazz bright red

Butterfly Bush Miss Molly dark sangria-red

Butterfly Bush Miss Pearl white

Butterfly Bush Miss Ruby fuchsia pink

Butterfly Bush Miss Violet dark purple-violet

Butterfly Bush Nanho Blue mauve-blue

Butterfly Bush Nanho Purple lavender-purple

Butterfly Bush Nanho White white

Butterfly Bush Pink Delight deep pink

Butterfly Bush Pugster Amethyst purple/yellow-orange center

Butterfly Bush Pugster Blue blue/yellow-orange center

Butterfly Bush Pugster Periwinkle soft purple/yellow-orange center

Butterfly Bush Pugster Pink taffy pink/yellow-orange center

Butterfly Bush Pugster White white/yellow-orange center

Butterfly Bush Royal Red rich purple-red

Butterfly Bush White Profusion white

Butterfly Bush Black Knight dark violet-purple
Butterfly Bush Cranrazz bright red
Butterfly Bush L&B Blue Chip lavender blue
Butterfly Bush L&B Ice Chip pure white
Butterfly Bush L&B Pink Micchip orchid-pink

Butterfly Bush L&B Purple Haze dark purple-blue
Butterfly Bush Miss Molly dark sangria-red
Butterfly Bush Miss Pearl white
Butterfly Bush Miss Ruby fuchsia pink
Butterfly Bush Miss Violet dark purple-violet

Butterfly Bush Nanho Blue mauve-blue
Butterfly Bush Nanho Purple lavender-purple
Butterfly Bush Pink Delight deep pink
Butterfly Bush Royal Red rich purple-red
Butterfly Bush White Profusion white

PLANTING BUTTERFLY BUSHES

Buddleias need full sun and fertile, well-drained soil.
Plant in spring or fall before frost.
Loosen the soil, mix in compost, and dig a hole twice the diameter of the plant container.
When placing the plant in the hole, the top of the rootball should be level with the soil surface
Water thoroughly.

CARING FOR BUTTERFLY BUSHES

Water freely when in growth and sparingly otherwise. In the summer, water if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
Avoid fertilizing butterfly bush; too much fertility promotes leaf growth over flower production.
Remove spent flower spikes to encourage new shoots and flower buds.
In addition, it is important to deadhead the flowers just as they start to wither so that this invasive plant doesn’t spread volunteer seeds. Deadheading of this invasive is now required in many states.
Each spring, apply a thin layer of compost and mulch to retain moisture and control weeds.
In cold, Northern climates, spread mulch up to 6 inches deep around the trunk to nurture it through the winter.
Buddleias are very late to break dormancy, so don’t be in a hurry to assess winter damage.
The bush should bloom abundantly even in its first year. In warmer climates, the bushes will grow into trees and develop rugged trunks that peel; peeling is normal.
In the northern limit of their range, they behave as herbaceous perennials, dying back to the root in cold winters.

Butterfly Bush (buddleia)