Start growing
Needs full sun and well-drained soil. Cut back almost to the ground in late winter.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Butterfly Bush care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Buddleja davidii
- Common names
- Summer Lilac
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Genus
- Buddleja
- Species
- B. davidii
Growing with your kit
Butterfly bush seeds are tiny! Surface sow in the Seeds In A Cup® kit and watch the first pollinators arrive.
Propagation
By seed or softwood cuttings.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Blooms continuously from summer through fall if deadheaded.
Growing conditions
Sunny, disturbed sites and riverbanks.
Weather & tolerances
Highly drought and pollution tolerant.
Pests & plant health
Spider mites in dry weather.
Plant safety
Non-toxic to humans; invasive in some regions.
Botanical features
A fast-growing deciduous shrub with arching branches and long, conical clusters of fragrant flowers.
Varieties
‘Black Knight’, ‘Nanho Blue’ (Dwarf).
Garden & everyday uses
The ultimate pollinator magnet. provides nectar for butterflies and bees
Native range & distribution
Native to Central China.
Conservation
Secure; new sterile cultivars are encouraged to prevent spread into the wild.
Name origins
Named after Rev. Adam Buddle, an English botanist; ‘davidii’ after Père Armand David.
History
Discovered in China in the late 19th century; became a global garden staple for butterfly lovers.