Buddleia – or “Butterfly Bush” – attracts hummingbirds and many different kinds of butterflies. Fragrant pink-purple flowers in conical clusters appear on and off all year (more during warmer weather) at the tips of arching branches. With regular trimming, it will reward you with its showy year-round flowers and butterfly-attracting qualities.
By Michael West – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Classification
Alternate names
butterfly bush
buddleja
Latin name
Buddleia davidii
Family
Related species
Cultivars
Characteristics
- butterfly garden plant
- fragrant
- ornamental
- perennial
- requires deadheading
- attracts hummingbirds
Description
Lilac flowers in conical clusters appear on and off all year (more during warmer weather) at the tips of arching branches.
Size
Large. Trim to 4 – 5 ft tall and wide.
Color
Usually seen bearing pink-purple flowers, buddleia also comes in varieties with lilac, pink or white blossoms.
Blooming season
Year-round, more in warm weather
Lifespan
Perennial
Natural environment
Uses
- Butterfly garden
Planting and Growing
Requirements
Hardiness zone
Sun
Full to partial sun is best.
Water
Though it requires well-drained soil, this plant needs regular irrigation with time to dry out a bit between waterings. My experience is that it needs a lot of water, at least when potted.
Soil
Well drained.
Salt tolerance
Cold/heat hardiness
It’s cold hardy but it can thin in winter, so avoid a location where there are strong winds.
Planting
When to plant
How to plant
Add composted cow manure and top soil or organic peat humus to the hole when you plant.
Plant 3 feet apart. The bush grows outward with long branches so provide enough space so that nearby plants aren’t covered up by this one’s exuberant growth.
This shrub will grow in a large container in an area of good sunlight.
Propagation
Maintenance
Buddleia likes constant trimming to stay blooming and full. It responds beautifully to shearing with hedge trimmers, or at least needs regular deadheading to stay bushy, pretty, and in bloom (the more you deadhead – cut off spent flowers – the more flowers you’ll get). Do a hard pruning in spring (late March to early April) for overall size.
Fertilize 3 times a year – in spring, summer and fall – with a top quality granular fertilizer. You can supplement feedings with bone meal and/or liquid fertilizer to promote heavier bloom.
Diseases/Pests
Cautions
Some authorities consider it to be invasive, so avoid planting at the edge of a preserve or open natural area…or cut off spent flowerheads before they go to seed.
Buddleia doesn’t appear on the ASPCA list of plants toxic to cats.
Landscape Planning
For a butterfly garden. Come out from the house 3 feet. If planting along a walk or drive, come in 4 feet.
Landscape uses for buddleia
- anchor for a butterfly garden
- accent in a mixed bed
- along a porch, deck or patio
- informal hedge
- around the poolcage or lanai
- lining a walk or drive
- in front of taller plants
- surrounding tall palm trees
- along a fence
Notes from the Jungle
Ownership
I think I bought this from the Green Thumb Festival in spring 2018. It’s still potted as of December 2018, because I’m a dweeb. It seems to need a lot of water and will drop all its leaves if dry, but they grow back. Mine is the purple kind.
Placement around the house
Links
South Florida Plant Guide — Buddleia
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