What could be more enjoyable than relaxing in your favorite lawn chair or hammock, your sunglasses on, and a cool beverage in hand, staring at an enchanting array of colorful butterflies milling around their favorite plant? What could possibly be an easier way to accomplish this vision than by planting a simple butterfly bush?
Buddleia davidii, the butterfly bush, is a flowering maniac. It pushes its proliferation of perfumed blooms straight through summer and well into fall, providing nourishment to butterflies all season long. Available in a multitude of colors ranging from white to pink to red to purple, there are colorful butterfly bushes to match any garden or landscape color scheme. The fragrant, long, spiked panicles are borne in profusion on long, gracefully arching branches that add drama and elegance to the yard. And it really is a butterfly magnet!
This quick-growing, deciduous, woody shrub is winter hardy in zones 5-10. In the northernmost areas of its hardiness range, Buddleia behaves like a herbaceous perennial, dying back to the ground in very cold winters. In the southernmost areas, Buddleia is grown as a large shrub and can flourish all year. In either location, you should treat this plant as a cut back shrub. Because butterfly bush blooms on new wood, it benefits the plant to be cut back to the ground each spring. This judicious pruning will stimulate lavish new growth and an abundance of flowers. It will also keep some of the larger varieties at a manageable size, particularly in smaller yards, corners, or other confined spaces.
Plant your butterfly bush in full sun in just about any type of soil and it will thrive. Don’t worry about fertilizing, as over-fertilization can encourage too much leaf growth over flower formation. Deadheading will encourage additional growth and new flower buds to extend the blooming season. Buddleia has a good tolerance for drought once established but should be carefully watered when young. A good, thick layer of mulch will help maintain soil moisture and keep weeds down to keep the shrub healthy. Just be sure not to use insecticides or pesticides on your butterfly bush, or you may be harming the very fluttering fliers you hope to attract.
Not sure which butterfly bush to try? Consider these varieties to choose the perfect color and style to suit your yard. Not all varieties are available at all times. Please contact us for variety and availability information.
A valuable garden plant with fragrant reddish-violet flowers in late summer when little else blooms; attracts butterflies; may treat as a perennial and cut it back to the ground each spring as it regrows vigorously and blooms on new wood.
A tall garden plant with dark purple flowers in late summer when little else blooms, and attracts butterflies; may treat as a perennial and cut it back to the ground each spring as it regrows vigorously and blooms on new wood.
A valuable compact garden plant with showy lavender-blue spikes of flowers in late summer when little else blooms, and attracts butterflies; may treat as a perennial and cut it back to the ground each spring as it regrows vigorously and blooms on new wood.
A compact variety with fragrant violet-blue flowers with orange centers in late summer when little else blooms; attracts butterflies; a non-invasive sterile variety.
A valuable compact garden plant with spectacular hot pink and red spikes of flowers in summer; attracts butterflies; may treat as a perennial and cut it back to the ground each spring as it regrows vigorously and blooms on new wood.
A special variety with fragrant ruby red flowers in late summer when little else blooms; attracts butterflies; may treat as a perennial and cut it back to the ground each spring as it regrows vigorously and blooms on new wood.
A compact garden plant with showy blue flowers in late summer when little else blooms, and attracts butterflies; may treat as a perennial and cut it back to the ground each spring as it regrows vigorously and blooms on new wood.
An elegant garden plant with full, cone shaped clusters of pink flowers with bright orange centers; attracts butterflies; may be cut back to the ground each spring, as it blooms on new wood; sterile and non-invasive hybrid.
A very popular garden specimen with showy pink flowers in late summer when little else blooms, and attracts butterflies; may treat as a perennial and cut it back to the ground each spring as it regrows vigorously and blooms on new wood.
A petite garden plant with full, scentless clusters of violet-pink flowers; attracts butterflies; gray green foliage is full and dense; may be cut back to the ground each spring; sterile, non-invasive hybrid.
