Butterfly Bush

Buddleja davidii

Cultivars: 'Black Knight', 'Miss Ruby', 'Lo & Behold Blue Chip'

Butterfly bush is a fast-growing flowering shrub known for its long, colorful flower spikes that bloom through summer and attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. It brings strong seasonal color and a lively pollinator presence to sunny borders, foundation plantings, and mixed shrub beds. Its habit is typically upright to arching, and in peak bloom it reads as a “flower engine” in the landscape. Cultivar selection matters, some stay compact for small beds, while others grow into larger shrubs with heavier bloom production. When used as a focal shrub, it provides that classic midsummer punch when many spring shrubs are done.

Plant Characteristics
Genus
Buddleja
Species
Buddleja davidii
Cultivar
‘Black Knight’, ‘Miss Ruby’, ‘Lo & Behold Blue Chip’
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Plant Characteristics
Bird-Attracting
Pollinator-Friendly
Sun-Loving
Plant Color
gray-green
Flower Color
various
Bloom Time
Summer - Fall
Height
1-12'
Width
2-8'
Water Use
Low-medium
Care Instructions

Butterfly bush performs best in full sun and well-drained soil. It has low to medium water needs once established, but consistent moisture during the first season improves establishment and bloom performance. It blooms on new wood, so spring pruning is part of good maintenance: in early spring, cut back hard to a stable framework (often 12 to 24 inches, depending on size and winter dieback) to encourage vigorous new shoots and heavier flowering. In colder Rocky Mountain winters it often dies back partially, and that is normal, it regrows strongly once warm weather returns. Fall dieback cutback is not recommended, leave stems standing through winter to protect the crown and mark the plant’s location for spring pruning. A light mulch helps protect roots, and avoid wet, poorly drained soils that can cause winter losses.