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How to Grow Butterfly Bushes: Planting, Pruning & Pollinator Tips

Attract beautiful butterflies to your garden with a butterfly bush.

Image Credit:
Willowpix/Getty
Botanical Name
Buddleia davidii
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
6-10 feet
Spread
6-10 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Alkaline
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Cut Flower
Disease-Resistant
Fragrant
Long Blooming
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Drought-Tolerant
Heat-Tolerant
Salt Tolerant
Plant Type
Shrubs and Bushes
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

If you’ve ever dreamed of a garden buzzing with butterflies, the butterfly bush might seem like your perfect match. With its arching stems and cone-shaped clusters of fragrant blooms, this fast-growing shrub is a pollinator magnet that brings nonstop summer color. But before you plant, there’s more to consider—like when to prune (hint: not too early!) and whether your region may classify it as invasive. 

In this guide, we’ll help you plant, grow, prune, and responsibly care for Buddleja—so you can enjoy its beauty while being a smart steward of your garden.

Also called “summer lilacs,” butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) are hardy to Zone 5 and remain evergreen from Zone 8 south. Growing 5 to 10 feet tall, this large, arching shrub produces an abundance of flowers—long, spiked trusses—in mainly purple and pink colors. The shrub grows well in perennial gardens or as a shrub border, and the flowers are good for cutting.

Don’t prune at the wrong time. Butterfly bush growth appears on new wood, so pruning should wait until the new wood is ready to grow in spring. Also, be patient with this shrub as it may not leaf out in the spring until after other perennials. 

butterfly on a butterfly bush

Invasive Concerns of Butterfly Bushes

Please note that the butterfly bush, originally imported from China, has been classified as an invasive species in many U.S. states, as it’s known to crowd out native plants that are essential to wildlife. In warm climates, it can become a noxious weed and spread aggressively, while in cooler climates, it mostly stays contained if gardeners deadhead the flowers.

Note: The butterfly bush does provide adult butterflies with nectar similar to that of many flowers. However, it is not a “host plant” for butterfly larvae; if you want the butterflies to stay, be sure to add native host plants such as milkweed, aster, and dill. See plants that attract butterflies.  

If you would still like to put a butterfly bush in your garden, there are a few species of non-invasive butterfly bushes native to the southwestern United States. Also, there are newer varieties that stay compact and won’t take over your garden. See our native list of butterfly bushes below.

Please check with your local cooperative extension for more information.

Planting

Choose a location with full sun and moist, well-draining soil. 

When to Plant

How to Plant

  • Loosen the soil from 12 to 15 inches deep and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.
  • 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. Gently backfill the hole around the root ball. Firm the soil.
  • Water thoroughly.

Growing

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, then 2 to 4 inches of 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.

Pruning Butterfly Bushes

Butterfly bushes must be pruned vigorously, or their flowers will grow up so high that you can’t see and enjoy them!

  • Since butterfly bushes bloom on new wood, even if there is no dieback, cut them back to the ground early each spring. Yes, hack to the ground!
  • Also, prune out dead stems, cutting them close to the ground.
  • Even where winters are mild enough for the stems to survive, prune severely to stimulate abundant growth on which flowers are borne.

Pests and Problems

  • Susceptible to capsid bugs, caterpillars, weevils, mullein moths, and spider mites.
  • Fungal leaf spots and die-backs can occur.
  • Butterfly bushes are one of many deer-resistant plants.

Types

We are no longer recommending new plantings of the butterfly bush, given its categorization as an invasive in most of North America. Instead, we recommend using plants that better support the native landscape and food web, given our declining pollinator population. See alternative plants that attract butterflies.

Native Alternatives to Butterfly Bushes

Here are a few great flowering alternatives that also serve as host plants for caterpillars:

See a list of host plants native to your area here: Native Plant Finder

Shrubs and Trees

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Richard</span> Sat, 06/29/2019 - 17:27
The house came with a butterfly bush and I admit I am not good at knowing how to care for things outside. We've been here for 2 years and I have never done anything to the plant at all. This year nothing seems be happening at all so far, no blooms or even things that look like buds. The bush is about 6 feet tall and has a hard center stalk like a tree. Is it dead? Is it too late in the year to chop it to the ground like you suggest? From some other comments here - the soil I have been told is kind of clayey, it should have good drainage, it rains here pretty regularly though seems to be wetter this year, lots of sun in that spot. We are in zone 5b in MA.
<span>Richard Taylor</span> Sat, 06/22/2019 - 19:23
I have 2 Madagascar butterfly bush growing instead of becoming tree or shrub like they are sprawling everywhere. What would be the best way to have them growing up rather than ground level sprawling. Would it benefit putting on a trellis
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 06/24/2019 - 10:51

It sounds like the plant would benefit from support of some sort. Perhaps tie the branches up to a couple stakes—or a trellis, as you mentioned.

 <span>Sandra Buelow</span> Sat, 06/15/2019 - 17:53
I bought my butterfly bush a few years ago, it bloomed beautifully the first-year, after that the leaaves and blooms were just puny. Tried removing spent blooms, new blooms were still punny. Last year it starting putting on nice size leaves, the leaves yellowed and no blooms.This year the plant is doing the same, leaves are yellowing, no blooms. I added some top soil a couple of weeks ago, it might be too soon to see if it helped. Now I am thinking of adding some MiracleGro or maybe some fish emulsion...HELP PLEASE
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 06/17/2019 - 15:57

What is the planting site like? Is the soil well-draining or is it quite clayey? Does the plant get a ton of water or is it fairly dry? Is it in full sun or shade? It could be that the planting site is just not ideal for the plant!

 <span>Dara Beam</span> Wed, 05/29/2019 - 10:19
I put out a small butterfly bush start from Tractor Supply this spring. It had a few leaves at the time. Those are gone, and all I have is a twig like stem, about 8 inches tall. I am not sure how long to wait for something to happen, or if I should cut back to ground, or am I doomed? Knoxville, TN
<span>Deborah Pender</span> Sun, 06/02/2019 - 10:56
Dara I bought 3 butterfly bush's on clearance sale last year they looked great.One of them did the same as yours.I kept it anyway just to see if it would come back and it did it's as big as the other 2 .I didn't cut mine back until this year so I would remember what was in pot.So keep your twig in same pot it may come back. My dead twig is a beautiful blooming plant this year.The other 2 plants did the same thing in winter and all came back covered with beautiful blooms.So good luck with yours.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 05/29/2019 - 16:33

Certainly not. We can't be sure from this vantage point: It could take the plant a bit of time to become established. Sometimes plants take the transition poorly and look worse before they get better. If you think things are dire, you could take a picture of the plant to show to the good folks at Tractor Supply or even uproot it, gently, and bring it back to express your dissatisfaction. (We would advise this of any plant that does not seem to "take" when planted.) It's still early in season so you should be able to try a new one if it comes to that.

 <span>Steve</span> Fri, 05/24/2019 - 16:55
My roommates mom planted a butterfly bush a few years ago right before she passed away. As one of the last things her mom was able to do, she really would like to have part of this bush growing at her mother's grave. Someone else owns the house, and the bush now. We don't envision they will just let us dig it up. Can we cultivate a new plant from some branches and if so, how? Thanks for any help anyone can offer, it means a lot to her.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 05/29/2019 - 16:28

The most efficient way to cultivate a new plant is to take a a healthy-looking 4 to 6 inch stem (vibrant color, minimal to no wilting or present disease, etc.) on the upper portion on the plant, cut just below a healthy bud (new growth) and avoid the flower buds as much as possible. Remove the foliage from the bottom third of the stem. Dampen the lower portion of stem and "dip" it into root powder (this is dry powder, so "dip" means cover it). Shake or tap off excess powder. Plant the powdered stem into a pot that half/half perlite and peat, dampened but not drippy. Cover the plant lightly with plastic, place it in indirect sunlight, and mist it to keep the soil damp. In 3 to 6 weeks, tug on it gently to see if it has set roots. If it has, you can transplant it to a larger container. Give it time to become established, then transplant it into the soil.

Or, if it is not possible to get a cutting from the original plant, in good faith to your roommate's mother (it's the thought that counts), you could purchase a plant.