alternate-leaved butterfly bush
Buddleja alternifolia
RHS AGM 1993
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size8 to 15 feet tall10 to 18 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Arching
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Lilac-purple
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Alternate-leaved butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia) is a shrub for borders, pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, and specimen planting. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist soil of most types. Its arching branches carry fragrant lilac-purple flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. It sits low on the menu for deer and rabbits.
Pairs well with Munstead lavender, Ironweed, and Ornamental onion.
Native range
Central Asia, Asia, and Qinghai.