The Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) is a beautiful, fast-growing, deciduous shrub with masses of blossoms—long, seductively spiked trusses—that bloom from summer to autumn.
The flowers come in many colors, though butterflies prefer the lavenderpink (mauve) of the species to the white and dark purple cultivars.
Butterfly bushes are hardy to zone 5 and remains evergreen from zone 8 south. The shrub is also low-maintenance, only requiring dead-heading and annual pruning in later winter to encourage flowers and a compact shape.
Invasive Concerns
Please note that the popular Butterfly Bush, imported from China, is now being classified as an invasive species in most regions, which means it’s crowding out native food that is essential to wildlife, including butterflies and birds. In more gentle climates, it can become a noxious weed. In other climates, it seems to stay contained within a garden’s cultivated soil if gardeners deadhead the flowers once spent.
Also, 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. Rather, it provides nectar to adult butterflies; think of nectar as their favorite adult beverage! If you do have a Butterfly Bush, be sure to add native host plants such as milkweed if you want the butterflies to stay. See plants that attract butterflies.
There are non-invasive American Butterfly Bushes. Please check with your local cooperative extension for more information.
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
Buddleia davidii invasive
I have grown this plan for a very long time in North Central Alabama and have never seen a volunteer plant. Wish I had because you never see them in nurseries . Just bought one from grocery and hope it is one of those old fast growers that attract many, many butterflies.
Butterfly bush
Planted a new butterfly bush about a month ago. It looked great. It had a lot of blooms. Now the blooms have died and the plant also looks dead. What could I have done wrong. Great sunny location. Plenty of water and decent drainage.
butterfly failing
We can not be absolutely certain but can only suggest that the transition from pot to plot can be traumatic. Did you retain the soil on the root ball or shake a good bit of it off? If you did the latter, you may have prolonged its transition/adjustment period. Its roots need to get acclimated again, set themselves up to feed and supply drink to the plant. That’s a big job. Here’s another idea: you could contact the source you purchased it from and see if they have a return/exchange program, or at least see if this is a common experience and what to do about it.
butterfly bush
We have Butterfly bushes and they still have not bloomed this year it is now June 7. Do you think they are dead.
dead butterfly?
If the plant has leaves, it is probably not dead. Read the care tips above and be sure the plant is getting everything it needs.
Mould on soil
My mum has a butterfly plant in her garden which she has has for years, every year it is cut back and every year it blooms. This year it seems to have died as there is what lols like a white/black mould like substance around the base of the plant and it hasn’t bloomed at all, any ideas what this could be and how if any chance I can save it. Thanks
Butterfly Bush Mold
Is the mold on the soil or on the plant itself? If the mold is on the stems of the plant, then those stems could be dead or dying. Do a scratch test on those stems—scrape off a tiny piece of the bark above the moldy bit to see if the stem is still green underneath. If so, the stem is still alive and the mold is likely just superficial.
If the mold is only on the soil, it’s due to decaying matter in the soil, such as fallen leaves or other plant matter.
As long as the plant has leaves, it’s not dead. Scrape off all the mold that you can, then treat the plant and surrounding soil with a fungicide to discourage new fungal growth. The plant may not bloom this year, but if it survives, it should be back to normal in the future.
Butterfly bush
I planted 3 bushes last spring and they were beautiful all year. I cut back to about six inches April it is now May 20th and still no sign of new growth. Planted 6/72017 and they have a year guarentee, should I be concerned. Central Illinois and we have had an early spring everything else is up.
Butterfly Bush Not Growing
Hi Reihm,
If you cut back too early, a frost can do damage to any new growth that you expose. Try a scratch test by scraping a little of the back away on a few stems. If the wood inside is green, it’s alive. If it’s brown, it’s dead. At this point, cut back any dead wood you find to green wood, which should encourage the bush to grow. We hope this helps!
Butterfly Bush
What temperature does the soil need to be???
butterfly tree, bush
I bought a new home the backyard has a beautiful butterfly bush but it shan't been cut back its now may 17 is it too late to cut back??? thanks
When to Cut Back Butterfly Bush
Hi Frances,
Depending on your region, it most likely isn’t too late. Cut back any dead wood to expose green wood to encourage growth!
Butterfly bush grown in pot
I live in an apartment with a nice little back yard probably 20 x30 maybe a little bigger it gets great sunlight wither that being said I’m not able to plant directly into soil how can I go about growing it in a pot
in a pot?
Well, you can buy it and put it into a pot or buy it in a pot. Often, but not always, shrubs or trees sold in pots are in there pretty tightly. So transplant the bush into a larger pot soon after you buy it. How big? Several inches wider/deeper. You want to give the plant enough space to settle into—but you do not want to do this every year. (Because it is a bit of work and the plant may not perform well if it has to acclimate to a new “home” every year.) Make sure that the pot has holes in the bottom for drainage—and seriously consider putting the pot on a drip tray or other surface when you put it into the yard. If you do not, it could very well send roots out the drainage holes…and you would have a plant growing into your backyard soil, which, as you say, is not allowed.
Butterfly bush
I planted three bushes last spring and enjoyed all summer. It is now April and I just read that I should have cut them back to the ground early spring. Should I still cut them back at this late date.
pruning back butterfly bushes
I too planted 4 butterly bushes last year and they were beautiful. Two were a dynamic color and two were white. Now, being the first week of May, I'm told to cut them all the way back. I'm so fearful that if I do that, I'll kill them.
When to prune/cut back
Early spring is a good time to prune butterfly bush (and rose of Sharon, blue mist spirea, and others). But better late than never is acceptable, too. You can do it now; just leave any new shoots you see. These plants have endurance.
Potted Patio Dwarf Butterfly Bush
We were told to bring in off patio when frost is beginning. We have moved it into our apt. in a sunny location. How often do we water through the winter. We are hoping it will survive indoors over winter, then placed out on balcony next summer. Is there any other special care we should give it. We were told to bring it in cause roots would freeze and kill it if we left it out in the pot. Plus pot would probably crack from cold, we live in New York.
Butterfly bush pruning
When we bought our home (in northern Utah) it had 2 butterfly bushes about a foot and a half tall in summer of 2016. Now in early October 2017 they are about 7 feet tall and around 4 feet wide. They flower beautifully and attract butterflies. Exactly how much do we cut them back? And when, do we wait until next spring or can we prune now?
Butterfly Bush Pruning
Hi Tami,
You can prune your butterfly bush as soon as the foliage dies back. Since they are considered an invasive, it’s recommended to cut the bushes to the ground each fall. However, if you wish to have a larger bush, you can prune several feet of the new growth. Pruning aggressively will encourage strong blooms in the spring because butterfly bushes only bloom on new growth.
Staking?
Just planted in So Cal but my "bush" does not look much like a bush, growing straight out rather than up. Should I stake it or something so it grows into a bush? Also, regarding your comment of "hack it down" in the spring, would that also apply here in Zone 10?
Butterfly Bush Staking
Hi Wendy,
Yes, you can stake the bush so it acquires the look you want. And also yes, you should hack it down to the ground in the spring to prevent it from becoming too well situated. It is extremely invasive, crowding out native species of flowers and plants, which are vital to our ecosystem.
Pruning in September?
I live in zone 5B, northeast Pennsylvania. My buddleia is healthy but a bit straggly. I know it needs to be cut back hard but my problem is that I won't be here in the spring to prune. I can't ask my neighbors to cut it back. Can I prune it now in mid-Sept? If so, how far down. Thank you.
Get the pruners ready!
It’s hard to keep a good butterfly bush down, so we say, prune when you need to. Cut down to an inch or so above the beginning of the “new” (this year’s) wood. The old wood is usually darker in color and thicker than the new material.
Dead Butterfly Bushes
We have just went through Harvey here in North Houston and I've found that all (8) of my Butterfly Bushes have died, probably the result of too much water, but not in standing water. Do you think that is a correct assumption?
drowned butterfly bushes?
Butterfly bushes are not considered invasive for nothing: leave them and see if they come back next year. They may have had a lot of water but they could still come back. However, if it was salty water, they could be gone. Cut them to the ground and wait and see what happens come spring. It’s not that far off …
Butterfly bush
What is the root flushing recipe?
Butterfly Bush
Planted my bush the spring of 2016. Not much growth the first year...but this year it is almost 4 ' high supported by a tomato basket with holder. No flowers at all this year. I live in the northeast, does that matter.
Butterfly bush growth
It has been a cool, wet spring and summer here in the Northeast, and that has affected the growth of many plants (especially some vegetables!). So all in all, it sounds like your plant is doing ok. Four feet is a reasonable size. Just remember what they say about some perennials: First they sleep, then they creep, and then they leap. Enjoy it … and be careful what you wish for! (You might look back on this creeping stage with pleasure.)
Butterfly Bush
My landscaper trimmed my butterfly bushes down to the point of no flowers. Will they produce new flower cones this season?
Pages