Buddleja
( bud - LEE - uh )
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At-A-Glance InformationButterfly Bush, or Buddleja (alternatively spelled Buddleia) is named for English botanist Adam Buddle. It is a very popular choice for butterfly gardens, and will also attract birds to your yard. Buddleja is a genus of evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous shrubs that require full sun or light shade and moderate to regular water. Shrubs are generally upright and have spreading, pendulous branches. Use Butterfly Bush in mixed beds and borders, as specimens in the landscape, or in wildlife or pollinator gardens.
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buddleja Species and Varietals
The genus Buddleja includes 140 distinct species of flowering plants, and is included in the family Scrophulariaceae. Butterfly Bush grows in varying zones depending on the species. For more information, see below species descriptions. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Buddleja alternifolia (Fountain Butterfly Bush) This shrub grows best in zones 2b-24 and is deciduous. Native to China. Branches have an arching habit, and leaves are dull green above with hairy grey undersides. Clusters of fragrant purple flowers appear in the spring. This species tolerates a variety of soil conditions, and can even thrive in poor, dry gravels. Grows to 12 feet tall and just as wide. Needs pruning after blooms to remove the oldest wood just above the ground. Varietal 'Argentea' has silvery leaves. |
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Buddleja asiatica An evergreen variety that grows best in zones 8, 9, 14-24, H1 and H2. Native to the East Indies, it is a vigorous grower to 10-15 feet tall and wide. Spikes of flowers appear in winter and springtime, and its fragrance mimics Freesia. Needs pruning after blooms die off. In areas that reach freezing temperatures, it will die back to the ground, but can make a full recovery and flower again in the same year. |
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Buddleja crispa This deciduous species of Butterfly Bush grows in zones 5-7 and 14-17. It is native to the Himalayas and can grow to be 6-10 feet tall and wide. Foliage is silvery grey, and flowers are fragrant. Flower colors are beautiful lilac with orange or white throats. Late summer blooms are the most profuse. Needs to be cut almost to the ground in late winter, and in cold-weather regions should be grown in a container and protected during the coldest winter months. |
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Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush, Summer Lilac)
This bush is evergreen to semi-evergreen and grows best in zones 2-24 and H1. When mature, can reach 5-15 feet high and wide. Leaves are long and dark green on top, white underneath. Lilac flowers with orange eyes appear in dense, arching clusters. Native to East Asia. This species was named for French Basque missionary and naturalist Pere Armand David. For varieties of this popular species, see the following photos.
This bush is evergreen to semi-evergreen and grows best in zones 2-24 and H1. When mature, can reach 5-15 feet high and wide. Leaves are long and dark green on top, white underneath. Lilac flowers with orange eyes appear in dense, arching clusters. Native to East Asia. This species was named for French Basque missionary and naturalist Pere Armand David. For varieties of this popular species, see the following photos.
'Harlequin'
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Buddleja davidii nanhoensis
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'Peach Cobbler'
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'Tangerine Dream'
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'Blue Chip'
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'Asian Moon'
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Buddleja globosa (Orange Butterfly Bush) This species is evergreen or semi-evergreen and grows in zones 5-9 and 14-24. Hailing from Southern South America, this shrub has an open, arching habit and grows to be 10-15 feet tall and wide. Dark green leaves are soft underneath. Flowers appear in early summer or late spring, and are tightly clustered into orange balls in spike-like clusters 6-8 inches long. Needs pruning after blooming, especially on the oldest wood close to the ground. |
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Buddleja 'Lochinch' This species of Butterfly Bush is largely deciduous but will retain its leaves in milder climates. Grows best in zones 3b-9 and 14-24. Foliage is grey and sweetly fragrant. Light lavender to blue flowers appear over a long season in late summer into fall. Grows to be about 5-8 feet tall and as wide. Needs hard pruning (cut back almost to the ground) before spring growth begins. |
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Buddleja x weyeriana This shrub grows best in zones 4-24 and can get 6-10 feet tall and wide. This is a hybrid species and resembles B. globosa but is deciduous and more cold-hardy. Orange/yellow flower clusters appear in late spring and early summer. Varieties include 'Bicolor' (mauve flowers with peach centers), 'Sungold' (orange blooms) and 'Honeycomb' (pictured; with butter- yellow flowers). |
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Caring for and pruning Buddleja shrubs
Butterfly Bush is considered an easy-to-grow garden shrub and are relatively undemanding in nature. They can be grown both in the ground and in containers and are easy to find at many nurseries. Choose a sunny spot in your yard that has well-draining soil. Springtime after the last chance of frost has passed is the best time for planting, though they can really be planted at any time of the year (provide with extra waterings if you are introducing Butterfly Bush to your garden in the summertime). Keep the soil relatively moist (but not wet) for the first 18 months, as this will help your plant get established.
Ongoing care requires deadheading spent flower clusters, and adding a dressing of mulch of organic matter. For container-grown plants, fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer annually. To prune these shrubs (if they need it), you can hard-prune in wintertime, though they rarely need it. Specifically with Buddleja alternifolia (which has a more open, graceful habit), you'll want to identify a main trunk early in its growth and tie it to a stake; they can tend to be a bit bushy and unkempt when they are purchased from nurseries. Other species-specific pruning notes can be found in the species descriptions above.
Ongoing care requires deadheading spent flower clusters, and adding a dressing of mulch of organic matter. For container-grown plants, fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer annually. To prune these shrubs (if they need it), you can hard-prune in wintertime, though they rarely need it. Specifically with Buddleja alternifolia (which has a more open, graceful habit), you'll want to identify a main trunk early in its growth and tie it to a stake; they can tend to be a bit bushy and unkempt when they are purchased from nurseries. Other species-specific pruning notes can be found in the species descriptions above.
Propagation
The best and easiest way to propagate Buddleja is via softwood cuttings taken in the middle of summertime. To propagate your Butterfly Bush, follow these instructions:
Propagating Buddleja by Cutting
Propagating Buddleja by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In springtime, before the plant has had time to harden its current season's growth, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 4-6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip off all of the lower leaves, leaving the top two on the cutting. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in cool, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated Buddleja, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home in your yard. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new plant.
Problems and Pests
Buddleja shrubs are generally pest and disease-free, but are susceptible to frost damage in cooler temperatures (especially in non-hardy species) and other issues if their roots are allowed to sit in water for too long. Some other issues include:
- Fungal Leaf Spot
- Capsid Bug
- Weevils
- Caterpillars
- Mullein Moth
- Spider Mites
Gallery
Buddleja is great in mixed plantings, adding height and color to borders.
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Growing Butterfly Bushes near sitting areas will allow visitors to smell the flowers and watch butterflies.
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Buddleja can make a wonderful addition to cottage-style gardens.
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Videos
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How to grow and care for Butterfly Bush.
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Why you should plant Butterfly Bush.
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Pruning a Butterfly Bush.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 206 - 207, Buddleja
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