Buddleia davidii
Butterfly-Bush

Family:

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family) 28

Genus:

Buddleia (Butterfly-Bush Lilac) 7

Plant Type:

Shrub 462

Growth Forms:

Bushy 162

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 5 234

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 794

Flower Notes:

Purple (Fragrant, long (10") purple, lilac, and lavender flower panicles that attract butterflies)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Grayish-green foliage that emerges in late spring and lasts into late fall; no fall color change)

Fruit Notes:

Brown (Capsule (0.25-0.33" long); not ornamentally important)

Ultimate Height:

10-15 feet

Ultimate Spread:

10-15 feet

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Prefers fertile, moist, well-drained soils, but quite adaptable

Range:

China

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Leaves (4-10" long by 1-3" wide) are opposite, simple, laceolate, finely toothed, glabrous on the upper surface, and tomentose on the bottom. Petiole is very short (can almost appear sessile.) The stem is pubescent when young, becoming glabrous at maturity.

Special Characteristics:

Flowering Characteristics 392

Fragrant Flowers 174

Additional Information

The Butterfly-Bush is valued for its profusion of attractive, fragrant purple flowers and long bloom period that can even stretch into October. The flowers of this large, tough shrub attract a considerable amount of butterflies. This plant tolerates clay soil, and drought once established, but is not tolerant of wet soils. To maintain vigor and flower size, it is recommended to give this plant a hard prune or prune to the ground in early spring, before growth begins. This plant seeds itself freely and can become quite weedy, so it is best to deadhead the old flowers, before they can go to seed. This also encourages further blooming.