butterfly bush
Buddleja davidii
RHS Plants for Pollinators
USDA zones5 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size6 to 12 feet tall4 to 15 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Arching
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Lilac to purple with orange throat
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is a shrub for borders, pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, and hedges. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Fragrant lilac to purple flowers with orange throats draw butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Deer tend to pass it by. Give this fast, arching shrub plenty of room to spread.
Pairs well with Foxglove, Ornamental onion, and Little bluestem.
Native range
Asia.