The butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a beautiful, fast-growing, deciduous shrub with masses of blossoms—long, spiked trusses—that bloom from summer to autumn.
Its flowers come in many colors, though butterflies seem to prefer the lavender-pink (mauve) of the species to the white and dark purple cultivars.
Also called “summer lilacs,” butterfly bushes are hardy to Zone 5 and remain evergreen from Zone 8 south. The shrub is 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 butterfly bush, originally imported from China, has been classified as an invasive species in most U.S. regions. In other words, the butterfly bush is known to crowd out native plants that are essential to wildlife, including butterflies and birds. In warm climates, it can become a noxious weed and spread aggressively, while in cooler climates, it mostly stays contained within a garden’s cultivated soil if gardeners deadhead the flowers.
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. Caterpillars do not feed on butterfly bushes; rather, it only provides nectar to adult butterflies. If you do have a butterfly bush, be sure to add native host plants such as milkweed, aster, and dill if you want the butterflies to stay. 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 US. Please check with your local cooperative extension for more information.
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Thank you so much for your
Thank you so much for your quick reply about my butterfly bush seedlings. Besides the two I mentioned, Just yesterday I found in a large pot that last year sat under my butterfly bush, several young butterfly bushes from six to ten inches tall. I have been pulling them out as weeds this spring and early summer to allow my hen and chicks to fill the pot. After noticing yesterday that their not weeds, today I dug them out and potted them in 6 and 8 inch pots a total of 18 butterfly bushes. Oh My!. I'll give most of them away and treat them as you instructed. We had a really hard winter last year and I lost two well established large butterfly bushes as I failed to mulch them last fall. I waited so long hoping they would survive and come back that when I finally gave up on them I then had to wait till late June for the local nurseries to get thier second shipment of them as so manny were lost to last winter in our area and the spring shipment sold out quickly. So now I'm overflowing with butterfly bushes. Have learned a hard lesson and will always mulch in anticipation of a long hard winter. Thanks again for your reply, Cathy Jo
I transplanted my butterfly
I transplanted my butterfly bush from the garden this spring into a plot of pretty good soil mixed with a little sand. It is in full sun almost all day, I water it when there has not been a lot of rain, which by the way we had plenty of for the last 3 days. This morning the stems and leaves are all wilting, I watered it about 5 hours ago and it is still drooping. Is it getting to much sun to early in the morning? I love the colors and want it to live !!!!! Please HELP,,,, TY, Amy
I live in San Antonio Tx. I
I live in San Antonio Tx. I did not cut back my butterfly bushes this spring and now they appear to be dying.....lots of woody stalks and few leaves after a gorgeous blooming season in the spring and early summer. do I cut back the dead stalks and continue to trim any spent blooms?
We live in Georgia and I had
We live in Georgia and I had the same problem last year. I cut everything down to about 8" off the ground. This was an eye sore for a while but at the end of the Spring, our butterfly grew back bigger and more beautiful than the ear before. This year, I did the same thing and had even better results!
I live just outside of
I live just outside of Calgary Alberta Canada where I thought we lived in a zone 4, however I was informed we live in a zone 2-3a anyway question: can I grow buttery bushes here ? I have a direct south facing back yard which means I get sunshine all day . Yes we have rain. Yes we have cold winters yes we have frost so with all that will the butterfly bush grow here? Is there any special care they will need? Thank you for responding .
I live in zone 3b ironically
I live in zone 3b ironically my butterfly bush came back the following year after one of the coldest winters on record in Minnesota.
My butterfly bush is planted on the sunny most side of my yard that receives the most sunlight from morning till evening.
Did you end up planting the
Did you end up planting the butterfly bushes, and if so, did they survive the winter? I ask because I am in Zone 4b, and want to plant these but not sure they will survive the harsh MN winters.
Butterfly bush
Hi , I live in Calgary, I have three butterfly bushes growing in my yard for three years , the dark knight, miniature white and a red,.... They die to the ground every year but grow big and give many flowers every year.... I just cover with mulch in fall.
They are zone five and we are zone three
My friend just gave me a
My friend just gave me a butterfly bush. I reside in Bullhead City, AZ. The temperature here can get up to 123 degrees. I have very little shade. Can I put this bush in a planter or does it have to be in the ground. My friend also gave me a Russian Sage. I love flowers and plants of any kind. I am from NYC where plants are scarce in apartment living. Thank you.
Yes, you can grow some
Yes, you can grow some varieties of butterfly bush in Arizona. They are a good choice because they love full sun and are relatively drought-tolerant. They do not need shade though they will provide it. However, they do need good soil that is loomy and drains well with deep, infrequent watering. If your soil is questionable, they will also grow in a patio container.
I live in Spokane WA, my
I live in Spokane WA, my daughter gave me two B bushes last year and I was able to plant and keep them through the winter. They were doing really well until a few weeks ago when I saw that something has been eating it. The leaves are like lace, and I can,t seem to find anything on them. did spot an earwig on one. My plant is well grown about 4 ft tall the other is smaller about 3ft and not as full but both are being destroyed by whatever is causing the lacing effect. Can anyone help?
I have a butterfly bush I am
I have a butterfly bush I am not sure what type. I think it was mislabeled at the store. It said it was a black knight, but I have had it two years and it is only 3'tall. I live in Central CA and the plant is in full sun all day. Well each summer the leaves get scorched. They turn brown and crispy with arched like lines over them. I am not sure why this happens. We have sandy soil and it seems to drain well.
I am not an expert but do you
I am not an expert but do you prune it down fall or spring to bring out new growth. Its prob staying at 3' cause you haven't cut off the older limbs. Also put in a spot where the bush can get shade off n on (cover over bush at hottest times) its a very prolific grower n bloomer make sure to cut or break off spent flower to get new ones. Hope this helps Kimmi
Hello, I just recently bought
Hello,
I just recently bought a butterfly bush, and I had it in full sun (still in the pot). The blooms and leaves kept drying up like they were being fried by the sun so I moved it to part shade. The blooms and leaves stopped drying up but the blooms are still very limited. Unlike how they were when I first bought it. Now I'm confused as to where I should plant it. Full sun or part shade?
When established butterfly
When established butterfly bushes do best in full sun. See our planting advice above and make sure to water the newly transplanted bush daily if it is hot and sunny.
I just bought my first
I just bought my first butterfly bush and planted as recommended. Some of the panicles when I bought it were a beautiful purple and some of them had died.
It's been a couple of weeks and now all panicles have died. The leaves are still growing nicely. When should I see new flowers? Where do they start? From another panicle? I water it twice a day since the temperature reaches 90 - 98 degrees. Maybe I just need to give it more time.
You need to cut off the dead
You need to cut off the dead flowers and they will put out new ones.
I live in Seattle, WA. I
I live in Seattle, WA. I bought a butterfly bush last year and, since I live in an apartment, I planted it in a big planter. It bloomed last year then went dormant for the winter. This spring I cut away all the dried branches and it is now several feet tall and very green. However, as of today, 6/17/14, I have no blossoms. Should I do any pruning to encourage blooming? I water it once a week and turn the planter so it grows straight. Your advise is appreciated.
I live in Spokane and have a
I live in Spokane and have a long-established butterfly bush. I have a lot of new growth, but no blossoms. It won't be blooming for a while still. (6/19/14)
If you dont over water it
If you dont over water it will bloom in July and you will have Butterflies and Hummingbirds.
I live in Bakersfield, CA &
I live in Bakersfield, CA & planted a butterfly bush in late March. It gets full sun, is well drained but we do water daily as we get only 2-3 inches of rain yearly lately. The bush did well & has a lot of blooms but I noticed yesterday that some of the leaves are turning back & curling up. They lo have OE holes as if bugs have been eating them but I don't see NY insects on them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as we lost our east huge bush last year. This one is about 3-4 feet tall.
We moved to a home last year
We moved to a home last year at this time in sw Virginia. There are two beautiful huge butterfly bushes...one in front yard and one in back....but this year, they both look dead...can not figure out what happened!
Hello: I am new to gardening.
Hello:
I am new to gardening. Last spring 2013, my lawn was dug up and now I have a garden. I live in Queens NY and I have noted that my two Butterfly bushes after blooming beautifully last year does not have a single blossom. They are growing beautifully but no flowers at all. My garden gets full sun from 11:30 Am till sundown. Please advise.
Thank you.
I don't think butterfly
I don't think butterfly bushes bloom until mid to late summer. Around the 4th of July to fall. At least,that's what mine have been doing
I don't think butterfly
I don't think butterfly bushes bloom until mid to late summer. Around the 4th of July to fall. At least,that's what mine have been doing. All leaves, no blooms till the fourth!!! :D
I bought a butterfly bush
I bought a butterfly bush about 5 weeks ago, I live in the Bay Area near Berkeley. I planted in a sunny area with well amended soil. It looked great for about a week and then began to die. there are a few green branches but the bulk of the plant looks dead. I watered lightly daily in the beginning and then backed off thinking I was over watering - now don't know what to do.
I used to grow tomatoes on this strip so there is sun, the soil was originally clay but has been amended over many years. Help!
do i need to start over, cut back the dead sections or leave it alone
Cut back any dead branches
Cut back any dead branches and water when the soil is dry. The bush may send up some new growth
I have a butterfly bush that
I have a butterfly bush that has been glorious for years. We had to move it a couple years ago because of the size it grew to be. I usually cut it back about 1/2 its growth yearly. It is June 10th, and all I have is dead branches. No new growth showing at all. I have another that is a new bush that is starting to green up, but not the big one we've had for years? We are going to cut it down to about a foot high (were waiting for the baby birds to fly the coop as they were using it as a landing) and hope it comes back. I would be devastated if it is dead. Is it possible the winter/spring weather is causing it to be a very late bloomer? Or could it be gone? Thanks!
Not knowing where you live
Not knowing where you live and how severe your winter was it's hard to say when the bush will show any signs of growth. Many regions in North America has had delayed growth this spring. Give your bush a few more weeks to see if it will come back.
I have a butterfly bush that
I have a butterfly bush that was well established when we bought our house 12 years ago. So it is quite old. It has withstood severe damage from a hurricane but this winter was extremely cold (in Baltimore) and now the bush has not come back. My husband cut it down to about 1 ft tall in late fall. I am concerned that it's truly dead but I haven't completely given up. It's now June 9th and is getting quite warm here. Is there any hope left for it to come back?
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