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.​
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