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.
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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.
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?
Butterfly Bush
Hi Annette,
Depending on your location, yes, they could produce more flowers this season. This is a possibility, not a guarantee.
Not invasive in the Piedmont (Durham, NC)
I've never seen butterfly bushes growing along the roadside in my area. I have planted multiples in my yard and we have them in the local park too. If your area has a lot of moisture, I could see it being a problem. I think our dry spells prevent them from being invasive. I will continue to use them in my garden. I also use native plants.
Prune dead branches?
We live in Northern California (Sacramento area). Our butterfly bush faces west in full sun. It has some blooms, but not a lot. Gets watered by drip. We've had it about a year and it hasn't grown much at all. Noticed some branches are dead and look kind of black while others are green. Should we prune the dead branches, or wait till dormant season? Also, should spent blooms be left on the bush, or cut off to encourage more blooms?
My butterfly bush looks dead.
Came home from vacation and noticed my bush looks dead. There are no new blooms the branches feel sturdy but the old blooms are black and dead. What can I do for it. Does it have a fungus of some sort
Actual trimming the dead flower part on the buddleia David I bus
When the flower itself is gone where do you actually cut it back to have more come in. At a stem connection or just at bottom of flower, please help I'm finally getting so many gorgeous monarchs and others. It's August 2nd 2017 at 12:00 noon. I'd appreciate an answer soon as possible. Thank you so muchpossible ( by flower being "gone" I mean dead , all individual little flowers on stem "dead" I know to cut them but on this bush not sure where exactly. F
Butterfly Bush Trimming
Hi Angela,
When the flower is spent, cut the stem back either at the base of the flower or down to the end of the stem connection. The trimming simply helps the bush to use its energy on creating new blooms instead of going to seed. The choice of where to trim is based on whichever looks better in your opinion!
Butterfly Bushes
We live in Georgia and it is 95 or so every day. We have had more rain than usual this year. I have four butterfly bushes in full sun. The ones in front of our building look like dead stems with a couple of green leaves and dead flower heads. the ones in the back look full and vibrant. Why the difference? Should I still wait til next Spring to trim the deal looking ones?
butterfly down...
It’s a tough call from here…we don’t know your soil quality or the specifics of the site. Here’s a possible reason: too much water due to pour drainage, which could be heavy soil or pavement or other obstructions. As for trimming it now, that should not hurt it. It may not result in a recovery but it will look better.
trimming
We have several butterfly bushes that were planted last fall and are doing fairly well. We failed to cut them back in the spring. They are very tall but not as many leaves as we think it should have and not super healthy looking. Would it hurt the plants to trim the tops a little?
trimming bush
planted last year, untouched since
about 5 feet tall
should I trim now?
cut to the ground in the spring? really?
thank you!
trimming in late July
Flowers appear on new wood. You probably would not have significant new-wood growth in this flowering season. With that in mind, it’s probably fine is you neaten the plant by trimming it now. As noted, this is considered an invasive plant; if invasives could be eliminated by simply pruning them out of season, more people would do that. (no judgement call here; just explaining from a different perspective)
Sterile varieties available
For a few years, Butterfly Bushes were outlawed in our state (Washington). With the new sterile variety, there is no threat of invasion. Mine are a hybrid, strong, healthy, with vigorous growth both flowers and greenery. There are fewer colors available as they continue to breed this lovely plant. I wish Farmer's Almanac would update their original article to reflect the hybrids and rescind their ban.
Sterile Varieties
Hi Mary,
While it is true that there are sterile varieties of butterfly bushes, those varieties are only roughly 98% sterile. This means that there is still the possibility of producing viable seed. Those mostly sterile varieties have the possibility of cross-pollinating with the invasive non-sterile varieties that are already growing throughout the country and forming resilient virile varieties. It has happened before with other “sterile” varieties of invasive ornamentals.
My buddleah
My neighbours are bullys ..accosted me TELLING me they had spent a lt of money on theyre concrete slab front garden and i was to cut my plant as it would shed all on their slabs ...today they went one farther and said it wasnt to stay there as it would destroy their wall built last yr ....this plant is 1 yr old .flowering lovely and ive ni intention of letting it grow inti a tree..it will be pruned every yr down to ground....can these neighbours bully me like this ...i have googled and in hot countries they do go into trees .but not this country im not happy
butterfly bush
The butterfly bush or Buddleia is technically a long-blooming shrub and often considered a sub-shrub because it dies back to the ground. It can be trained to look like a small tree, but it isn’t a tree. The shrub can grow to 6 to 8 feet high and 5 to 8 feet wide.
It will indeed shed its leaves in the fall, making the appear dead but it’s not; new leaves will arrive in spring. You do need to prune in early spring; this promotes vigorous new growth and flowering.
We will add that the butterfly bush in considered an invasive now. It’s from China and it can indeed spread outside your yard into your neighbor’s yard so you really need to keep an eye on it. Google more about “butterfly bushes invasive” and learn more.
As far as your neighbor’s go: This is not our area of expertise! Normally, the biggest issue is the danger of a falling limb and related safety issues (which don’t seem relevant here). We would go as far as to say that a neighbor could probably request removal of overhanging branches and roots to your boundary line (and it’s in their right to do so). However, if the branches and roots are on your property and errant leaves fall their way, that’s nature, folks!
New abode, old overgrown shrubs
A few weeks ago, in my new-to-me, N Alabama yard, I realized my giant overgrown crepe myrtles were hiding a Butterfly "bush". Never in all my life have I seen this grow into an actual tree! At approx 20 ft tall, possibly taller, and branches 6+inches in diameter, how will I ever manage this plant? It isn't invasive, at least in my yard, it resembles a forest tree, with leafing and blooms only at the very ends of the branches. It really is a lovely tree, and I've not seen animals and insects flocking to the sparse blooms so I would feel ok about letting it continue to grow as is, unless it's disruptive ecosystem potential is too great. Any advice as to handle its future?
Thanks, in advance, for some much needed advice!
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