Butterfly Bush (Buddleja)
Buddleja

Deciduous Perennial Shrub in the Scrophulariaceae Family

About Butterfly Bushes

Butterfly bush is like a drive-thru for pollinators—fast, flashy, and always buzzing. With fragrant blooms in bold colors, it’s a nonstop buffet for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. It thrives in Chicagoland summers, needs little pampering, and adds instant drama to your garden. Grow one, and nature will RSVP daily. The butterfly bush (Buddleia) 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. It typically grows to 6-12’ (less frequently to 15’) tall with a spread to 4-15’ wide when not killed back by cold winter temperatures. It is noted for its bushy habit, arching stems, showy/fragrant flowers and vigorous growth. Butterfly bush is a rapidly growing, deciduous, drought-tolerant shrub native to Asia. Plant it in the full sun in well drained soil. Flowers on new growth which appear from summer through the first frost. The best flowers appear when the plant is severely pruned in late winter. It is an excellent choice for the summer flowering shrub border to mass plant.

Pros

  • Attracts pollinators (as you might expect)
  • Vibrant colors in a long bloom season, from summer into fall, after many other plants have faded
  • Grow fast & don't need care once established to stay alive

Cons

  • Not officially invasive in Illinois, but it can self-seed and spread beyond intended areas
  • Can die back to the ground in a cold winter
  • Can become leggy without regular pruning
  • Needs full sun to thrive
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 6 - 10 feet tall. 4 - 10 feet wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium: Butterfly bush is very drought tolerant after it is established and actually does poorly in soggy conditions too.
Zones 5a - 9b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Edging, Extended Bloom Time, Fragrant, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Full Sun, Good for Beginners, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Hedges, Good for Mass Planting, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Proven Winner Selection, Rabbit Resistant, Reblooms, Showy Flowers, Shrub, Thrillers, Tolerant of Hot Dry Site, Tolerant of Loamy Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period June - October (First Bloom: 1,100 GDD, Full Bloom: 1,300 GDD)
Flower Color White, blue, lavender, pink, purple, yellow.
Animals That Use It

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Rankings
 

More Info from Experts


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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