Buddleia Hot Raspberry Uk? The 91 Correct Answer

Introduction to Buddleia davidii (butterfly bush)

Buddleia davidii (butterfly bush) is a wonderful shrub with large, fragrant, colorful flowers that will attract a flutter of butterflies to your summer garden. Butterfly bushes are extremely easy to grow and any inexperienced gardener will find success with this genus. Plus, they’re the absolute best butterfly-attracting plant you can grow. Buddleia growers work hard to create wonderful new cultivars with novel flower colors, flower shapes, leaf colors and dwarf habits. If you’re still growing some of the older strains, you’ll be amazed at how far they’ve come in recent years.

Buddleia ‘Blue Heaven’ PP 22.069 Buddleia ‘Blue Heaven’ PP 22.069

At Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden we grow many wonderful and rare butterfly bushes. We have 65 Buddleia accessions in the garden and offer the most beautiful and unique varieties for sale through our mail order nursery. We urge our readers to stop by during our Nursery Open and Garden in the Garden days to see our collection and visit our website to see our offerings. You can also learn about the 25 best plants for a butterfly garden and how to design a butterfly garden here.

How to grow Buddleia davidii (butterfly bushes).

If you’ve read our quick guide to caring for butterfly bushes, you’ll know that Buddleia should be planted in full sun for best growth habit and the greatest number of flowers. Most buddleia are large and need to be placed at the back of a bed, but there are some dwarf lilacs that look good in the front border or as border plants. Buddleia should be placed near a window, along a path, or near a patio or porch where you can enjoy the scent of the wonderfully fragrant flowers during the summer months. In addition, they are fairly tolerant of urban pollution, making them well-suited for urban landscapes and street planting.

Butterfly bushes are cold hardy to zone 5, making them suitable for most gardeners in the United States. However, hybrids bred with other Buddleia species may be less cold tolerant as some of the other wild species are only hardy in zone 7 or 8. Near the edge of their hardiness range, they die off in the winter and act more like perennials. Buddleia are hardy plants that tolerate poor and alkaline soils. They do best in well-drained average garden soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0, but can tolerate an alkaline pH of up to 8.5. Buddleia does not like poorly drained soil and will rot. Clay floors are best when supplemented with organic matter or when the bed is raised above the surrounding level. They are also not heavy feeders, so good, nutritionally balanced soil with appropriate organic amendments will do.

Buddleia davidii are drought tolerant and once established can be grown without much extra watering. During longer periods of drought, they should be watered thoroughly every few weeks. Container grown butterfly bushes need more regular watering, usually once a day. Allowing a buddleia to become stressed by drought increases the likelihood of insect infestations such as B. spider mites, significantly.

Buddleia can be propagated by cuttings or by seed, with cuttings being the only way to reproduce named clones. Cuttings can be taken from softwood in May, from semi-hardwood in July, or from mature wood in October. Short side shoots with many knots are best. Treat the cuttings with rooting hormone (1000-3000ppm IBA) and place under mist. The tiny buddleia seeds should be collected from November to February when they are normally released. The seed needs a short cold stratification of only 4 weeks. They will germinate in 3-4 weeks if surface seeded under lights at 70°F to 80°F. Grow the seedlings until they have 2 or 3 leaves but be careful not to water them by allowing air circulation and watering carefully. Harden off the seedlings by moving them outside to a sheltered spot after the last frost and gradually increasing light levels and moderating the temperature until they are growing in full sun at outside temperatures.

How to prune a butterfly bush

Large buddleia hybrids benefit from annual pruning as they are sparsely wooded and tend to divide as they age. Many of the commonly grown Buddleia davidii hybrids grow too large for the number of roots they produce. If they are not cut annually, they are sometimes blown over by the wind. Also, most Buddleia davidii cultivars flower on new wood and can therefore be pruned hard in late winter to encourage flowering. We generally cut them back to a height of 1 to 2 feet, but many can be cut to the ground and recover well. Buddleia should not be pruned heavily in the fall, however, as the loss of insulating branches and stored sugars can reduce their hardiness. Wait for spring to prune your butterfly bushes. If seed production and dispersal is a problem with fertile buddleia, gardeners should remove the seed heads in October. The seed heads do not open until November or December.

While hybrids do require pruning, there is little need to prune buddleia that are well adapted to their root system and will not fall over like the large hybrids. Some of the species, like Buddleia alternifolia, will actually flower on old wood and should only be pruned to maintain shape and remove dead branches. Pruning of the species should be limited to minor shaping if necessary.

Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Sungold’ Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Sungold’

Pests and diseases of the butterfly bush

Buddleia are usually pest and disease free in the garden. When plants are stressed, they can become infested with spider mites. Less commonly, Japanese beetles, caterpillars, weevils, or mullein moths may feed on the plants. Dandruff in stressed plants has also been reported in some states. Spider mites can be controlled with a commercial miticide or oil spray, but it’s better to keep the plant stress-free by providing adequate moisture, soil drainage, and fertilizer. It’s best to minimize chemicals, especially if your goal is to provide a breeding ground for butterflies.

Summer lilacs are considered deer-resistant perennials. Deer prefer many other plants and only feed on the butterfly bush as a last resort.

List of butterfly species attracted to buddleia flowers

The sweetly scented Buddleia flowers attract butterflies and sometimes the flowers get covered in hundreds of them. Butterfly bush flowers serve as a source of nectar for adult butterflies and the leaves also feed the larvae of some butterfly species. Buddleia are host plants for the North American butterfly species listed below:

Buddleia ‘Summer Beauty’ Buddleia ‘Summer Beauty’

American muzzle

Anise Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail

Cariable Checkerspot

Common horse chestnut

Common Checkered Skippers

Eastern comma

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

echo blue

Huge Swallowtail

Great Spangled Fritillary

monarch

mourning cloak

Painted lady

peacock

Pearl Crescent

Pipevine Swallowtail

Polydamus Swallowtail

Red Admiral (prefer white flowers)

Spicebush Swallowtail

tortoiseshell

Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail

Western checker spot

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Zebra Swallowtail

Bees, wasps, hornets, ladybugs, lacewings and moths also enjoy the flowers. Hummingbirds are attracted to the reddish varieties. Other birds such as orioles and bush tits feed on nectar during the growing season and seeds in winter.

List of Buddleia species

There are dozens of Buddleia varieties on the market today. Plant Delights Nursery is proud to be the first to market two varieties, Buddleia ‘Orange Scepter’ (2009) and Buddleia davidii ‘Potter’s Purple’ (1994). For more information on PDN versions, see our PDN tutorials.

Below is a brief list of the cultivars in the Plant Delights Nursery and the Juniper Level Botanic Garden. We strive to only grow the most interesting and impressive specimens as well as some of the newest plants on the market.

Buddleia alternifolia (Change Leaf Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia alternifolia makes a 10-12′ tall specimen with pendulous branches bearing narrow leaves and adorned with long, thin spikes of fragrant, light lavender flowers in early spring… very atypical. Don’t prune this back in early spring or you will prevent it from blooming as it will bloom on top of the previous season’s growth. This plant has a bulge and looks great draped over a wall. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia cordata var. tomentella (Hairy Mexican Butterfly Bush)

Tony Avent collected seeds from this butterfly bush in 1994 in the mountains between Saltillo and Monterrey, Mexico. In the years since, this has produced an outstanding garden specimen, reaching nearly 15 feet in height and an even spread. The branches of gray-green leaves are topped with clusters of off-white but very fragrant flowers in autumn and winter. (At least hardiness zone 7b-10)

Buddleia davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis Blue Butterfly Bush)

This selection is a member of the Buddleia English butterfly series developed by Elizabeth Keep of East Malling, England. It makes a 5′ tall, well-branched specimen with small leaves and 10″ long deep purple flowers. (hardiness zone 4-8)

Buddleia davidii ‘Black Knight’ (Black Knight Butterfly Bush)

This is the Buddleia with the darkest of flowers, almost a wine purple, and always one of the most popular…great in front of golden leaved plants. The smaller foliage and shorter stature (50″ tall) give Buddleia davidii ‘Black Knight’ the effect of being more graceful and airy. (hardiness zone 5-10)

Buddleia davidii ‘Black Knight’ Buddleia davidii ‘Black Knight’

Buddleia davidii ‘Bonnie’ (Bonnie Butterfly Bush)

This selection by Mike Dirr was named after his wife Bonnie and if you know Mike you know it must be a beautiful buddleia! This giant, deer-resistant butterfly bush reaches a height of 10 feet and is covered in large grey-green leaves, which are then topped with large 10-inch panicles of very fragrant, light blue-purple (RHS 94D) flowers from June until frost. (hardness zone 5- 10)

Buddleia davidii ‘Cornwall Blue’ (Cornwall Blue Butterfly Bush)

The flowers are very close to true blue and contrast very well with the flaky silver leaves. This plant grows up to 8 feet tall. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia davidii ‘Dartmoor’ Buddleia davidii ‘Dartmoor’

Buddleia davidii ‘Dartmoor’ (Dartmoor Butterfly Bush)

Unlike most butterfly bushes, which end in a single flower spike, Buddleia ‘Dartmoor’ behaves like a good variety of broccoli, producing huge branching flower heads with additional flowering side shoots…but don’t try to eat those! The medium purple flowers of this award winning and tall 6 foot English hybrid are delightfully fragrant. (hardiness zone 5-10)

Buddleia davidii ‘Harlequin’ (Harlequin Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘Harlequin’ is a sport of ‘Royal Red’ Buddleia with cream-colored, rimmed leaves that make a striking 7ft tall accent in the garden. The reddish-purple flowers cover the plant all summer long. Unfortunately, in the south-east it has proven to be slow-growing and tends to turn the branches green again. (hardiness zone 5-10)

Buddleia davidii ‘Potter’s Purple’ (Potter’s Purple Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia davidii ‘Potters Purple’ Buddleia davidii ‘Potters Purple’

Buddleia ‘Potters Purple’ is our introduction in 1994 and originated as a seedling found in 1984 by Jack Potter at the Wister Garden in Swarthmore, PA. We fell in love with this other shade, almost a clear purple. Buddleia ‘Potters Purple’ is a very vigorous, 7 foot tall, upright, deer resistant grower with very long and fragrant flower spikes. It consistently ranks at the top of over 60 strains tested in Mike Dirr’s University of Georgia Buddleia Trials! (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia davidii ‘Purple Prince’ (Purple Prince Butterfly Bush)

This vigorous 6′ tall oldie but goodie is topped with panicles of very fragrant purple flowers on a tall 6′ tall upright plant (Hardiness Zone 5-10)

Buddleia davidii ‘Royal Red’ (Royal Butterfly Bush)

This 1928 hybrid from Good and Reese Nursery in Ohio is still one of the most desirable butterfly shrubs. Each 6-7 foot tall specimen is crowned with small panicles of delightfully fragrant bright purple flowers (RHS 81A) from early summer through fall…it’s only red for color blind butterflies and garden catalog writers! (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia davidii ‘Royal Red’ Buddleia davidii ‘Royal Red’

Buddleia davidii ‘Santana’ PP12383 (Santana Butterfly Bush)

This Rod Dransfield discovery was released in 2007 and is a sport of Buddleia ‘Royal Red’. Buddleia ‘Santana’ is one of the loveliest buddleia we have ever grown. Unfortunately, it is also one of the shortest lived. For some reason this vigorous grower forms a nice 6 foot tall clump and then inexplicably dies almost overnight. It’s a real shame, as the variegated leaves, which are green with a wide yellow border, are crowned by reddish-purple flowers that complement the foliage. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia davidii ‘White Bouquet’ (White Bouquet Butterfly Bush)

This is one of the best white butterfly bush varieties we have found, with a beautiful dense habit to a height of 6 feet and studded with rigidly upright fragrant white spikes throughout the summer. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia davidii v. nanhoensis ‘Nanho Alba’ (Nanho Alba Butterfly Bush)

This 6 foot tall introduction from the Boskoop Experiment Station in Holland has remarkably large white flower spikes, much longer than any other white butterfly bush variety we have bred. (hardiness zone 5-10)

Buddleia davidii v. nanhoensis ‘Nanho Blue’ (Nanho Blue Butterfly Bush)

From the breeding program at the Boskoop Experiment Station in Holland comes a butterfly bush with smaller leaves that, contrary to some garden catalogues, still reaches a height of 6 feet. The narrow silvery foliage is accentuated by the bluish flowers that are produced throughout summer. (hardiness zone 5-10)

Buddleia davidii v. nanhoensis ‘Nanho Purple’ (Nanho Purple Butterfly Bush)

From the breeding program of Boskoop, Holland comes a beautiful, dark purple flowering form of the Nanho series of Buddleia. A 6 foot tall plant, the narrow leaves serve as a beautiful foil for the purple blooms throughout summer. (hardiness zone 5-10)

Buddleia fallowiana ‘Alba’ (Fallowiana Alba Butterfly Bush)

If you like butterfly bushes then you will love this one! This is a white flowering double of Buddleia ‘Lochinch’ which we were first provided with from Henry Ross of Gardenview. The foliage is felty gray and the 4 foot tall clump is topped with delicious, long spikes of white flowers. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia lindleyana (Lindley’s Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia lindleyana Buddleia lindleyana

This little known Chinese species has glossy green leaves, cinnamon stems and graceful 2 foot long pendulous racemes of medium sized lavender flowers that gradually open like a sparkler during the summer months. Our Buddleia lindleyana clone comes from giant specimens in the late Francis Marion Galloway’s garden in Bolivia, NC, where they have been growing since the 1860’s. We’ve pimped our 7ft specimen as a walkable feature…a truly spectacular species that deserves much wider use. His only bad habit is being stoloniferous and that seems to slow down a bit with age. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia loricata (Butterfly Shrub Loricata)

This South African butterfly bush is native to Lesotho, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State above 1800m. It has long, narrow, sage-like, evergreen leaves and is a neat, rounded shrub 4 feet tall. The flowers are small cymes with a creamy white or yellow color and appear in June and July. This flowers on old wood and if pruning is ever required it should be done in July when the flowering cycle has just finished. (hardiness zone 7b-9)

Buddleia marrubifolia ‘Presidio’ (Marrubium Leaf Butterfly Bush)

This is really cute, but completely unheard of outside of his native Texas. In reality, you probably wouldn’t know it if you saw it, as it looks more like a cross between a buddleia and lamb’s ear. Buddleia marrubifolia forms a compact bush to 4′ with small, rounded, tomentose, silver dollar-sized leaves. From late spring through summer, the tips of each branch harbor marble-sized, orange balls…yes, those are the flowers. Buddleia marrubifolia is native to limestone slopes, so good drainage is essential. Our selection of Buddleia ‘Presidio’ was made by the late Logan Calhoun of Texas for better winter hardiness. (hardiness zone 8-10)

Buddleia nivea var. yunnanensis (Snow White Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia nivea is native to southern China where it forms huge, vigorous plants that can grow to 15 feet tall. The clumps are topped with large terminal spikes of light lavender throughout summer. (hardiness zone 5-9)

List of Buddleia hybrids

Buddleia ‘Attraction’ (Attraction Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘Attraction’ Buddleia ‘Attraction’

This 55 inch tall buddleia is a seedling from Dr. Mike Dirr, UGA’s woody plant guru. The plant was eventually named by Ted Stephens of Nurseries Caroliniana. Royal Red”. This is a huge breakthrough in butterfly shrub breeding, and who knows?… maybe it will attract redder butterflies. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’ PP 19.991 (Blue Chip Butterfly Bush aka Buddleia 2004-09)

This really compact butterfly bush comes from the breeding program of Dr. Dennis Werner of the JC Raulston Arboretum at NCSU. Not only does this hybrid of Buddleia lindleyana, Buddleia ‘Nanho Purple’ and Buddleia ‘Honeycomb’ have a very low seed set, Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’ is one of the most compact Buddleia we have tested and at the Wisley trials in the UK was #2 in the public vote after Dennis’ Miss Ruby Butterfly Bush. The short internodes produce a compact plant that stays at 1-2′ tall in the first season, and with annual rejuvenation (decapitation) it stays 2-3′ tall. Unpruned plants eventually reach a height of 4 feet. Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’ is adorned with short, lavender blue spikes all summer long…a perfect, deer-resistant fit for small spaces and great for low-flying butterflies. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia ‘Ellen’s Blue’ (Ellen’s Blue Butterfly Bush)

What began as a stray seedling in Ellen Hornig’s New York (Seneca Hills) garden has now taken the gardening world by storm. Buddleia ‘Ellen’s Blue’ makes a compact, 1.20 m tall, deer-hardy shrub smothered by terminal spikes of bluish-purple flowers (RHS 89D) throughout summer. This unique color in Buddleia combined with the exceptional fragrance makes this one of the best new introductions to butterfly bushes…9 butterflies out of 10 choose Buddleia ‘Ellen’s Blue’…we agree! (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia ‘Evil Ways’ (Evil Ways Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘Evil Ways’ Buddleia ‘Evil Ways’

This stunning introduction from Sean Hogan is a pale yellow butterfly bush that came as a seedling from Sean’s nursery, probably of Buddleia ‘Santana’. Buddleia ‘Evil Ways’ is highlighted with very dark purple terminal flower clusters throughout summer. The color contrast of the flowers with the yellow foliage is simply outstanding. For us, Buddleia ‘Evil Ways’ produced a 4′ tall x 5′ wide deer resistant specimen perfect for some really cool color combinations in the garden… yellow swallowtail butterflies are a nice touch. Without a doubt our favorite new butterfly bush for years! (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia ‘Lochinch’ (Lochinch Butterfly Bush)

This hybrid of Buddleia fallowiana x Buddleia davidii has long been a garden favorite. This shorter cultivar (4-5 feet tall) inherits the silver leaf spines of Buddleia fallowiana and forms a beautiful compact, deer resistant clump with large leaves…the overall effect is a shimmering silver bush. Plants are crowned with fragrant, lavender-blue flowers from mid-summer to early fall…a great color echo for Russian sage. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia ‘Miss Ruby’ PP 19,950 (Miss Ruby Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘Miss Ruby’ (Buddleia ‘White Ball’, x Buddleia ‘Attraction’ hybrid) is the second in a series of butterfly shrubs by Dr. Dennis Werner of the JC Raulston Arboretum. Buddleia ‘Miss Ruby’, named in honor of JCRA benefactor Ruby McSwain, forms a compact, 6 foot tall, upright, deer resistant bush, reaching just 2-3 feet in the first year, but with the brightest reddish- pink flowers ever topped is produced on a buddleia. In the 2008 trials at the famous Wisley Gardens in the UK, Miss Ruby Butterfly Bush was the top public poll worker out of over 100 varieties worldwide! (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia ‘Orange Scepter’ (Orange Scepter Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘Orange Sceptre’ Buddleia ‘Orange Sceptre’

“Now for something completely different”… as the Monty Python troupe would say. This wild buddleia hybrid comes from the breeding program of Dr. Jon Lindstrom of the University of Arkansas. Jon combined genetics from Buddleia stachyoides and Buddleia tubiflora to create an 8-foot-tall, deer-resistant butterfly shrub that blooms virtually year-round in mild climates with a peak season of fall through spring. The 1 foot long terminal spikes of bright orange flowers opening from the bottom up could easily pass for Leonotis. The stems, which remain woody unless the temperature drops into the single digits, are clothed in 11″ long, verbascum-like, fuzzy green leaves…also great for conservatories as they bloom all winter. (hardness zone 7b-10)

Buddleia ‘Pink Delight’ (Pink Delight Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘Pink Delight’ Buddleia ‘Pink Delight’

This hybrid from the Boskoop Experimental Station in the Netherlands is absolutely one of the most beautiful pink flowering strains on the market. The silvery hue of the foliage (particularly evident in fall through spring) and compact habit (5 feet tall x 6 feet wide) make this a truly spectacular, deer-resistant Buddleia. Buddleia ‘Pink Delight’ is topped with large, 1-foot long flower heads from June until frost. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia ‘Summer Beauty’ (Summer Beauty Butterfly Bush)

This exciting color breakthrough came from the Boskoop Experimental Station in the Netherlands. This sister of Buddleia ‘Pink Delight’ has flowers that are reddish pink than all Buddleia before Miss Ruby Butterfly Bush. Combine the color with a smaller stature (up to 48″), deer resistance and silvery foliage…DY-NO-MITE! (Hardiness Zone 5-10)

Buddleia ‘White Ball’ (White Ball Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘White Ball’ Buddleia ‘White Ball’

This cute but quirky deer-resistant white butterfly shrub from the famous experimental station in Boskoop, Holland is better suited to the deer-resistant or miniature train landscape than the border. This rare genetic dwarf from a cross with Buddleia davidii v. nanhoensis forms a dense ball, 3 feet tall x 3 feet wide, of greyish foliage topped with tiny spikes of white flowers throughout summer. Just wait until you see the miniature butterflies it attracts! Remember that it should only be pruned with miniature scissors and watered with tiny watering cans. (hardiness zone 5-9)

Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Bicolor’ (Bicolor Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia ‘Honeycomb’ Buddleia ‘Honeycomb’

Buddleia ‘Bicolor’ is a 75″ tall introduction by Mike Dirr that originated as a seedling of the virtually sterile Buddleia ‘Honeycomb’. The flowers are a stunning lavender in bud, opening to a peachy pink with a yellow tinge with age. I have grown many butterfly bushes and have never seen anything quite like this revolutionary new introduction (hardiness zone 6-9)

Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Honeycomb’ (Honeycomb Butterfly Bush)

from dr Mike Dirr of UGA comes this dazzling introduction that surpassed the extensive buddleia trials conducted at the University of Georgia in the late 1990s. This 80″ tall hybrid of Buddleia davidii and Buddleia globosa has produced a large butterfly shrub best described as the improved Buddleia ‘Sungold’. The 4-6″ long flower spikes are a beautiful golden yellow and outperform the deer resistant plants.

History and Background of the Butterfly Bush

The common names for buddleia are butterfly bush and buddleia, although almost nobody uses the latter name. Butterfly bush should not be confused with the common perennial called butterfly weed, also known as Asclepias tuberosa.

Buddleia ‘Ice Chip’ PP 24.015 Buddleia ‘Ice Chip’ PP 24.015

The first species of buddleia known to science was a tropical shrub, the Central American buddleia Buddleia americana, which arrived in Europe from the Caribbean islands in the 1730s. The buddleia we commonly grow today, Buddleia davidii, was not discovered and introduced into gardens until the 1890s.

The approximately one hundred wild butterfly bush species are distributed worldwide between the 40th and 40th degrees of latitude. Buddleia are divided into two groups, the New World buddleia, native from the southeastern United States to Chile, and the Old World buddleia, native to Africa and Asia.

The commonly cultivated Buddleia davidii is native from central China to Tibet at elevations up to 7800′ (2600m) and is one of the most cold hardy Buddleia species. There is a large biodiversity of buddleia in Asia and America, but the highest is in South Africa, leading scientists to speculate that it originally evolved there. Some species have a very wide natural range (Buddleia americana, Buddleia asiatica, Buddleia crispa), while others are rare and occur only in a small area (Buddleia coriacea, Buddleia utahensis). Most buddleia are woody shrubs ranging in height from 6 to 16 feet. Others are 40-80 foot tall trees (e.g. Buddleia cordata, Buddleia limitanea, Buddleia saligna), some are dwarf shrubs less than 3 feet tall (e.g. Buddleia pterocaulis, Buddleia utahensis), some are woody vines ( eg Buddleia madagascariensis), and at the northern edge of their geographical range are some herbaceous perennials. Buddleia davidii is a common ornamental plant in temperate zones around the world. Dozens of cultivars have been released, covering a wide range of flower colors, leaf colors, and plant sizes. It is a very successful ornamental plant for landscape use, container gardening and cut flowers. In the United States, Buddleia are grown primarily in USDA hardiness zones 5-10 and are herbaceous perennials at the end of zone 5 of the range.

Außerhalb des Gartens hat der Sommerflieder nur wenige wirtschaftliche Verwendungszwecke. Einige Kulturen extrahieren Farbstoffe oder ätherische Öle aus den Stängeln oder Blüten. Andere verwenden Extrakte aus den Blättern, um Kopfschmerzen, Verbrennungen, Wunden oder Geschwüre zu behandeln. Einige Arten produzieren wichtige Sekundärmetaboliten wie Flavinoide, Terpenoide, Iridoide oder Phenylethanoide, die einen wirtschaftlichen Wert haben können.

Sommerflieder ‘Miss Molly’ PP 23.425 Sommerflieder ‘Miss Molly’ PP 23.425

Die einheimische chinesische Art, Buddleia davidii, hat den Ruf, an manchen Stellen unkrautig zu sein. Sommerflieder sind Pionier-Sukzessionsarten: Jede Pflanze produziert Millionen von Samen und eine Pflanze kann in einem einzigen Jahr vom Samen zu einem reifen, blühenden Erwachsenen heranwachsen. Die Samen haben winzige Flügel und können im Wind weit schweben. Buddleia davidii-Pflanzen besiedeln jedes Stück nackten Bodens an sonnigen Standorten wie Straßenrändern, Uferbereichen, Weiden und anderen gestörten Bereichen. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wuchs auf vielen von Englands ausgebombten Heimstätten Sommerflieder. Noch heute ist die englische Landschaft jeden Sommer mit Schmetterlingsblumen bemalt. Sommerflieder mögen keine direkte Konkurrenz durch Bäume oder andere hohe Pflanzen und werden daher in einem Gebiet mit einem Klimax-Wald-Sukzessionsregime aussterben.

Buddleia davidii gilt in Neuseeland, England, Frankreich und den USA (Oregon und Washington State) als invasives Unkraut. Australien, Fidschi und Hawaii betrachten es als potenziell invasiv und beobachten es sorgfältig. Buddleia davidii hat sich in England sowie in vielen US-Bundesstaaten wie Kalifornien, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Kentucky und West Virginia eingebürgert, gilt jedoch nicht als invasiv oder schädlich.

Verwenden Sie für Gärtner, deren Grundstück an ein nicht bewaldetes Naturgebiet grenzt, die sterilen oder wenig fruchtbaren Sorten oder entfernen Sie die Samenköpfe im Herbst, bevor sie sich öffnen. Viele der modernen Sorten von Buddleia davidii haben eine dramatisch reduzierte Fruchtbarkeit und sind nicht invasiv. Einige Hybridsorten (wie Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’) sind fast vollständig steril und stellen keine Bedrohung dar. Einige Sorten mit geringer Lebensfähigkeit umfassen Buddleia weyeriana, Buddleia fallowiana, Buddleia hemsleyana, Buddleia longifolia, Buddleia macrostachya und Buddleia nivea.

Merkmale des Sommerflieders (Form, Blütenfarbe usw.)

Sommerfliederblätter sind lanzettlich (lanzettlich) und gegenständig am Zweig angeordnet (außer Sommerflieder alternifolia). Die Blätter haben eine Größe von 1/2″ bis 11” Länge (1 bis 30cm). Einige Arten sind laubabwerfend, einige sind halb immergrün und einige sind immergrün. Der gewöhnliche Buddleia davidii ist in North Carolina halb laubabwerfend. Viele Schmetterlingsstrauchblätter haben kleine weiße Haare auf ihrer Oberfläche und einige Sorten wie Buddleia marrubifolia sind so behaart, dass sie dem Blatt ein attraktives silbrig-graues Aussehen verleihen. Die haarigen Sorten sind auch widerstandsfähiger gegen Spinnmilben und die Haare reduzieren auch den Wasserverlust, wodurch die Pflanzen trockenheitstoleranter werden.

Sommerflieder ‘Purple Haze’ PP 24.514 Sommerflieder ‘Purple Haze’ PP 24.514

Sommerflieder-“Blumen” sind eigentlich Blütenstände; eine Ansammlung vieler kleiner “Blüten” auf einer einzigen Blumenstruktur. Jeder Blütenstand besteht aus Dutzenden kleiner röhrenförmiger Blüten, die 0,5″ lang und 0,1″ breit (1 cm x 3 mm) sind und jeweils 4 sich ausbreitende Blütenblätter haben.

Die Frucht ist normalerweise eine Kapsel mit zwei Ventilen, die sich bei der Reife spaltet, um etwa 50 Samen freizusetzen. Einige Arten (z. B. Buddleia axillaris, Buddleia japonica) produzieren Beeren anstelle von Kapseln. Die Samen werden im Allgemeinen erst Ende Dezember freigesetzt und sie werden allmählich über mehrere Monate freigesetzt.

Die am häufigsten vorkommenden Sommerflieder-Sorten sind altweltliche Arten und der Blütenstand ist eine kegelförmige Rispe. Sommerfliederarten der Neuen Welt neigen jedoch dazu, kugelförmige Blütenstände zu haben, die als kugelige Cymes oder Trauben bezeichnet werden. Die Blütenstände können an den Spitzen der Stängel oder entlang der Länge des Stängels auftreten. Bei einigen Arten überspannen die Blütenstände Dutzende von Knoten am Stängel und haben kleine Hochblätter oder Blätter zwischen sich. Sommerflieder-Rispen sind zwischen 4″ und 20″ lang (10 bis 50 cm) und Zymen können je nach Art zwischen 2″ und 5″ breit sein.

Buddleia davidii, Buddleia fallowiana, Buddleia officinalis, Buddleia paniculata und Buddleia salviifolia haben an den Spitzen der Zweige aufrechte Rispen. Buddleia asiatica, Buddleia colvilei und Buddleia lindleyana haben Rispen, die lang genug sind, um sich über die Zweige zu wölben oder nach unten zu kaskadieren. Die Zymen und Trauben der Arten der Neuen Welt können sich an jedem Knoten eines langen Kaskadenzweigs (Buddleia alternifolia) oder eines aufrechten Zweigs (Buddleia globosa, Buddleia utahensis) bilden. Cymes und Rispen von Arten der Neuen Welt können sich auch an der Spitze eines Zweiges bilden (Buddleia crispa, Buddleia saligna).

Flower color may be white, purple, blue, pink, yellow, orange, or a reddish-purple color that buddleia marketers like to call “red”. Buddleia davidii and most of the other old world species have separate male and female florets on the same plant (monoecious). New world species tend to have separate male and female plants (dioecious). There are also perfect-flowered species (hermaphrodites). Plants are self-fertile and members of the genus easily cross with each other to form interspecific hybrids with intermediate floral traits.

Common garden butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii, Buddleia lindleyana, Buddleia fallowiana) have flowers with a sweet honey fragrance that is strongest at midday. The agreeable scent attracts a variety of butterflies, insects, birds and of course, gardeners. A few wild species have little scent, or a fetidly sweet scent that some people find disagreeable. Buddleia salviifolia is said to have the best fragrance of all, smelling like Chanel perfume.

Buddleia ‘Ellen’s Blue’ Buddleia ‘Ellen’s Blue’

The common garden species are long-day plants and flower in the summer. Flowering starts in July and lasts until first frost, but most of the buddleia hybrids produce their best floral show in early summer. In hot summer climates with warm nights, the summer produced inflorescences will often be dramatically smaller, returning to their full size only when fall approaches and the night temperatures cool.

Some of the other buddleia species are short-day plants such as Buddleia alternifolia which blooms in early spring. Both Buddleia asiatica and Buddleia officinalis bloom in late winter. Interestingly, the natural diploid species are usually short-day plants and the natural tetraploid species are usually long day plants.

Buddleia Taxonomy – How the Butterfly Bush Got It’s Name

An alternate spelling for buddleia is “buddleja”, and like a good mystery novel, the nomenclatural plot thickens. Reportedly, British surgeon and botanist Dr. William Houstoun (1695-1733), in his Catalogus plantarum Horti regii parisiensis, first spelled the name “buddleia”. Carl Linnaeus then reportedly misspelled it in the taxonomic bible, Species Plantarum as both “buddleja” in the text and “budleja” in the index. In a later edition of Houstoun’s work, published by Sir Joseph Banks in 1781, three different spellings can be found: buddleja, buddleia, and buddlea. Many taxonomists also consider the name buddleja to have been misspelled, because according to the rules of Latin; the suffix “ja” is grammatically incorrect and the suffix “ia” is the proper way to create a genus from the name buddle. Nowadays, most European taxonomists use the spelling buddleja, but almost everyone else uses the orthographical variant spelling buddleia…and we will follow the latter convention in this essay. In recent years major references from the American Horticultural Society, and the Royal Horticultural Society have been reverting from buddleia to buddleja. Many American horticulturalists rely on a reference book called Hortus Third which uses the term buddleia.

The name buddleia commemorates the amateur botanist and bryophyte expert, Reverend Adam Buddle (1662-1715). Buddleia was named for Buddle posthumously to recognize him for writing an early Flora of the British Islands. Oddly enough, Reverend Buddle never grew a butterfly bush. The first known butterfly bush species, Buddleia americana, wasn’t sent to European botanists until 1730, after Buddle’s death. The commonly grown Buddleia davidii, was named for French Jesuit missionary and naturalist, Pére Armand David, who first discovered it.

The genus Buddleia has been tossed about between taxonomic families. Buddleia was originally assigned to the family Scrophulariaceae by taxonomist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789, but in 1856 Taxonomist George Bentham moved it to the family Loganiaceae. In 1975 it was moved to its own family, Buddlejaceae, where it has stayed until very recently. Recent DNA analysis and phylogenetic studies have generated cladograms that place the entire family Buddlejaceae inside of the family Scrophulariaceae. The family Scrophulariaceae is complex and is considered to be a catch-all family for undefined genera in order Lamiales. However, this story is not over yet, work is still ongoing to sort it all out.

Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Bicolor’ Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Bicolor’

The genus Buddleia has over 100 species in it, but only a handful are used in ornamental gardens. These include Buddleia alternifolia , Buddleia asiatica, Buddleia colvilei, Buddleia crispa, Buddleia fallowiana, Buddleia globosa, Buddleia lindleyana, Buddleia marrubifolia, Buddleia officinalis, Buddleia paniculata, Buddleia saligna, Buddleia salviifolia, and the ubiquitous Buddleia davidii from which most of the common garden cultivars arise. A hybrid of the otherwise unused species, Buddleia stachyoides and Buddleia tubiflora also has garden merit. The man made interspecific hybrid Buddleia globosa x Buddleia davidii has been given the unique epithet Buddleia x weyeriana. This cross was originally made by the first buddleia breeder, Mr. Van de Weyer in Dorset, England in the early 20th century.

Butterfly Bush Genetics & Breeding

Modern breeding of buddleia began in 1900. Naturalist E.H. Wilson made germplasm collections of Buddleia davidii from western China while traveling for the Veitch Nursery in London and the Arnold Arboretum. The material sent to this plant nursery formed the basis of the modern garden hybrids. The Buddleia x weyeriana created in 1914 by Mr. Van de Weyer is still popular today.

Buddleia ‘Pink Micro Chip’ PP 26,547 Buddleia ‘Pink Micro Chip’ PP 26,547

Currently new cultivars are being announced every year by breeders and plant nurseries. The new cultivars offer novel combinations of plant height, leaf color, and flower color. Flower colors vary along a continuum and include hues of white, blue, purple, pink, orange, and yellow. A few cultivars even have flowers with branched panicles. Newer cultivars tend to be sterile or have vastly reduced seed germination and are thus less likely to seed around. Since sterile hybrids do not expend energy producing seed, they are usually very floriferous. Garden cultivars exist at every possible plant height from 2′ to 15′ and breeders are focused on releasing dwarf selections or more tightly branched selections that can fit into smaller gardens. Other breeders focus on leaf characteristics such as leaf color, variegation, and hirsuteness.

Buddleia breeders sometimes select plants for polyploidy (more than 2 sets of chromosomes) because some polyploids are sterile. Up to 40% of the buddleia species are natural polyploids. Buddleia have a chromosome number of n=19 (that is, there are 19 chromosomes in each set). There are also buddleia that are natural tetraploids (4n)(e.g., Buddleia davidii). Triploid buddleia also exist and are sterile. Asian species tend to be polyploid and new world species tend to be diploid. It is hypothesized that buddleia are allopolyploids that arose from a intergeneric cross between Gomphostigma (2n=14) with Retzia or Nuxia (2n=24).

The most prominent modern Buddleia breeders and programs are:

dr Dennis Werner of North Carolina State University has a decade long buddleia breeding program that focuses on novel leaf color, novel flower color, and dwarf habit. Werner makes controlled crosses using Buddleia davidii, Buddleia globosa, Buddleia lindleyana, Buddleia davidii var. nanhoensis, and Buddleia fallowiana. He is currently screening for sterility, true red flower color, and better yellows and oranges. His two recent releases, Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’ and Buddleia ‘Miss Ruby’ have won many accolades. In particular, Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’ is a breakthrough in breeding for its extremely dwarf habit. As it is nearly sterile it does not pose any “flight risk” like older cultivars. He is using Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’ and another dwarf, Buddleia ‘White Ball’ as parents for new hybrids. He has buddleias in the pipeline that are even smaller than ‘Blue Chip’ and that are seedless. dr Werner has also directed graduate students in the study of genetic mechanisms of flowering in buddleia and is experimenting with using radiation to induce mutations. This research may someday help create better flowering cultivars. In the future, look for new exciting cultivars to come out of this breeding program including a dwarf white, a dwarf lavender, and a semi-dwarf with semi-pendant inflorescences.

Buddleia ‘Blue Chip Jr.’ PP 26,581 Buddleia ‘Blue Chip Jr.’ PP 26,581

The late Dr. Jon Lindstrom of the University of Arkansas had a two decade long buddleia breeding program with a three-pronged approach. One goal was to release sterile hybrids that produced little or no seed. A second goal was to create silvery foliaged plants (like Buddleia ‘Lochinch’) with a wide range of flower colors. His third goal was to use uncommon buddleia species that bring novel traits into garden cultivars.

There are a number of new cultivars entering the market from breeder Peter Podaras, currently at Cornell University. Peter has created some dwarf cultivars and has used some lesser known buddleia species in his crosses. His first plants entered the market in 2010.

dr Mike Dirr [retired] of the University of Georgia ran a buddleia evaluation program that focused on attractive garden hybrids and spider mite resistance. His program released the popular hybrid cultivar Buddleia ‘Honeycomb’ which is considered to be the best yellow-flowered cultivar. He also released the unique Buddleia ‘Bicolor’ with its two-toned flowers.

The Boskoop Agricultural Research Station in the Netherlands selected and released several excellent cultivars including the compact Buddleia ‘White Ball’ and Buddleia ‘Pink Delight’. Elizabeth Keep of East Malling Research Station in Kent England has bred many cultivars of buddleia with the goal of refining the habit to make bushier plants that are smaller in stature.

These folks should be commended for their wonderful work. Plant Delights Nursery is happy to offer some of their best cultivars for sale and Juniper Level Botanic Garden displays many of these fine selections.

Conclusion

Buddleia are admirable garden shrubs for any garden from Zone 5 south. Buddleia are beautifully floriferous and sweetly odiferous and will attract thousands of butterflies to your garden. You may be asking yourself, “What is the best butterfly bush for my garden?” If you want incredible yellow foliage, try Buddleia ‘Evil Ways’. For nearly red flowers, choose Buddleia ‘Miss Ruby’. If you are looking for rare, eye-popping, yellow or orange flowers, you’ll want Buddleia ‘Honeycomb’ or Buddleia ‘Orange Scepter’. For a demure look, try the pastel colored Buddleia ‘Pink Delight’. Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’ and Buddleia ‘Ellen’s Blue’ are great compact blue-flowering buddleias. For the smaller garden, Buddleia ‘White Ball’ is a great white butterfly bush with a tidy compact habit. If you want to impress your gardening friends, try the truly unusual Buddleia ‘Bicolor’ or Buddleia lindleyana. Whichever one you choose, you will be sure to get a winner!

references

There are larger and smaller varieties, good for borders and pots. Commonly known as a butterfly bush, the flower heads are teeming with nectar and a magnet for many insects.

Buddleia is an easy and fast growing shrub that suits any garden where there is sun and well-drained soil.

Flowers come in a variety of colors including purple, blue, pink and white and even yellow. The flowers appear continuously for about four to six weeks in late summer.

How to grow Buddleia (Butterfly Bush).

Grow buddleia in moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Prune dead flowers to encourage more and cut back heavily in late spring to prevent the shrub from becoming too tall. This also ensures that flowering occurs a little later in the season, meaning there is plenty of pollen and nectar available for butterflies in late summer.

Related content:

Where to grow buddleia

Buddlejas grow in almost every location – they often outgrow brickwork and like to colonize wasteland – in fact they are classified as invasive plants. However, to get the most out of them as garden plants, choose a sunny spot to encourage nectar-rich blooms and attract butterflies.

How to plant buddleia

If you have heavy clay soil, add a handful of grit to your planting hole for extra drainage.

Watch Monty Don plant a buddleia in a bed:

How to care for buddleia

If left to their own devices, buddleia can grow huge. They bloom with the new season’s growth, so prune plants back hard in April or May to cut out all deadwood and maintain good shape. This also encourages later flowering, which is good for butterflies like the Lesser Tortoiseshell.

Watch Monty Don demonstrate how to prune a buddleia in this Gardeners’ World clip:

Fertilizing high in potassium in the spring will boost your buddleia’s blooming potential but leave it dead for a long-lasting flowering season. This also prevents unwanted propagation of buddleia seedlings.

Watch Monty Don demonstrate how to deadhead buddleia in this clip from Gardeners’ World:

How to propagate buddleia

Many Buddleja cultivars will seed themselves freely but may not stay true to their type. They can also be propagated from semi-mature cuttings in summer and hardwood cuttings in fall.

Growing Buddleia: Problem Solving

While relatively trouble free, it’s worth noting that buddlejas are on the invasive plant registry, easily escaping onto railroad tracks, shrubland, and masonry.

Buddleia varieties to try

overview

Official Plant Name Buddleja Common Name(s) Buddleia / ‘Butterfly Bush’ Plant species Shrub Native range Asia, Africa and America Hardiness H5 Toxicity None Foliage Simple leaves, usually deciduous Flowers Racemes of tubular flowers, usually purple or white Sowing April, May Flowering June, July, August Cutting time March, August, September

prefers sunlight

Full sun / partial shade

Exposed or protected size Height

1.5 – 2.5M spread

1.5 – 2.5 million flowering time

June – August soil preferred

Most soil types moisture

Moist but well-drained pH

Any

Buddleja – often referred to as “buddleia” – is a beautiful and commonplace plant in British gardens.

Its splashes of purple, pink and violet add color, and the sweet nectar will bring butterflies and bees galore!

In fact, this plant is often called the butterfly bush because they love it so much.

Butterflies sat on a stunning purple buddleia

There are countless reasons to consider Buddleja for your garden. It’s versatile, sturdy and attractive. It comes in a true rainbow of colors. And the smell of honey, so tempting to pollinators, is also very tempting to a human nose!

In this article we cover everything you need to know about Buddleja, from choosing the right strain for your garden to planting, care and tips for ongoing maintenance.

What is Buddleja?

This plant belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family, along with plants such as cape fuchsia, nemesia, figwort and others. There are different species, some deciduous and some evergreen. Originally a Chinese plant, it has become firmly established in British gardens since its introduction.

Buddleja is popular for many reasons. We’ve mentioned the fact that it’s great for attracting butterflies: so much so that the RHS chose Buddleja as one of their pollinator plants.

It also blooms in August, which can be a quiet month in flowering gardens. This makes it attractive to gardeners who want a garden that blooms for as long as possible in the year.

Finding the right variety involves deciding what color you want, the size of the space you have to work with, and a few other factors.

Choose Buddleja for your garden

There are different types of Buddleja, ranging from compact to sprawling. Considering that size, color, and shape vary between different species, it pays to become familiar with each species before committing to a plant.

blue horizon

Probably the most common Buddleja species. If you have seen Buddleja before, this is most likely the strain you will recognize. It can grow up to about four meters high over a period of five to ten years.

Changeleaf butterfly bush

Also known as Buddleja alternifolia, this strain is known to be less invasive than some others. Gardeners who want to spend less time killing Buddleja to prevent them from seeding everywhere (more on that later) may be interested in this species.

B. alternifolia will reach heights similar to Blue Horizon, but over a slightly longer period.

hole inch

This hybrid between two other Buddleia species is popular for its lavender color with orange dots. It grows slightly smaller than blue horizon and B. alternifolia: to a height of about eight feet.

Nanho Blue/Purple

Another hybrid: known for its light blue or purple flowers that will reach similar proportions to the Lochinch. These strains are more manageable than the big, sprawling ones!

They are a darker purple than some other types and have a slightly softer aesthetic

Dartmouth

Named for the adventurous escapade it took to collect cuttings from a ravine on Dartmoor, this hardy buddleja has a hardier appearance than some other cultivars. It can grow up to five meters tall and is a beautiful magenta color with white speckles.

The Butterfly Buddlejas

Some Buddleja cultivars are named for the butterflies they attract. Marbled White, Adonis Blue and Purple Emperor are three examples. With these varieties, the clue is already in the name: they have white, blue or violet flowers.

It’s worth noting that while buddleia are great at attracting butterflies, they don’t use the plant as part of their breeding cycle. This means they come to eat and then go elsewhere when it comes time to breed the next generation of caterpillars.

By spending time examining the different types of Buddleja – and there are many! – You will be able to find something that complements your garden and suits your taste.

Buddleja habitat and growing conditions

This plant doesn’t take much work. You can tell it grows quite happily on unkempt land, along railroad tracks, and other areas that aren’t actively being landscaped. In fact, most of the work you will be doing will prevent your Buddleja from overgrowing or seeding all over your garden.

When to plant your buddleia

Buddleja needs to be planted in fairly warm soil, so it’s best to wait until the later spring months. The daytime temperature should be around ten degrees Celsius and not drop below zero at night.

If you are growing from a container or planting stronger seedlings, they can be planted until the end of August.

Before planting, make sure the soil is loose and mix in some compost. Place your Buddleja plant in a hole about twice the diameter of the pot you are planting from. The top of the roots should be level with the surface of the soil.

Choosing the right floor

This plant prefers dry soil and does not thrive in soil that contains a lot of water, especially in winter. They prefer alkaline soil so check that the pH level is appropriate.

Buddleja is a great choice if you have a coastal garden thanks to its hardy nature and ability to grow in chalky soil.

Distance

Larger strains need to be planted about two meters apart to give them room to grow the most. Smaller varieties are fine with a meter spacing.

While this may seem like a lot of space when planting small shrubs, consider how bulky this plant can become later in its life cycle!

positioning

To thrive, Buddleja should be in a warm and sunny spot in your garden. They need at least a few hours of sunlight each day. This stimulates maximum nectar growth, making it as sweet as possible for the bees and butterflies.

You will see a lot of it!

The perfect care plan

As we’ve already said, this is a fairly hardy plant that can quite comfortably take care of itself. However, there are a few things to keep in mind for the best chance of survival.

irrigation

When summer rainfall is less than an inch or two, water your buddleia. Otherwise let the rain take care of it. Keep in mind that this plant is drought tolerant and therefore doesn’t need as much watering as some other plants in your garden.

In the spring, when the Buddleja is growing freely, you can water it fairly frequently. Be careful during the fall months, though: this plant doesn’t thrive in very wet conditions.

clipping

An unkempt buddleia bush

Saga Magazine notes that buddleia need “wild pruning,” and their strong language is fully justified. Be aware that you will be spending a lot of time pruning this enthusiastic plant!

However, pruning comes with several benefits, so it’s worth doing. First, the plant will be more neat and tidy, making your garden feel less cluttered. And secondly, the flowers of a pruned plant will be healthier and more vibrant. Larger plants tend to become woody and have limited bud growth.

The best time to do this is late spring – around March – as the warmer summer months give the plant time to recover. Pruning back Buddleja in the fall can cause damage and even death in the winter.

If you’ve inherited an overgrown buddleia, it’s best to cut it in half – one in each of the two consecutive years – to avoid traumatizing the plant.

dead head

When the Buddleja flowers start to fade, it’s time to top them off. This encourages vigorous growth of new flowers.

Deadheading removes the flower entirely, as well as a few inches of the stem below. This may seem drastic, but it’s an important step in stopping unwanted seedlings, keeping the plant healthy, and promoting optimal growth.

Although not relevant in the UK, it is interesting to note that Buddleja is so keen on dispersing its seeds that killing is mandatory in many American states.

Fertilize

Fertilizing buddleja with fertilizer or adding organic fertilizer is a good way to increase the number of blooms, although some gardeners advise that this might encourage foliage growth instead. Opinions differ as to whether Buddleja should be fertilized.

If you choose to do this, the manure should be applied in the fall; fertilizer in late spring.

Adding a new layer of compost or mulch each spring keeps moisture in the soil and reduces weed build-up.

Other things to watch out for

Especially large summer lilacs start to look like trees and their trunks may detach. If this happens, don’t panic! It is normal.

Protect Buddleja from harm

This is a particularly hardy plant. Particularly strong winds can blow branches off larger Buddleja plants, but other than that, she’ll most likely stay out of the way. Here are some potential threats to watch out for.

pests

Buddleja is susceptible to several insects including mites, nematodes and caterpillars.

The mites are small and difficult to see, but if you suspect your plant is infected, the best way to find out is to shake a branch and hold a piece of paper under it. If small orange or green mites fall on the paper, give the plant a vigorous jet with a hose to remove them.

Once nematodes become established, they are harder to get rid of. The priority here is to keep the plant healthy and making sure it is getting all the nutrients it needs. In this case, take extra care not to overwater, as nematodes thrive in humid conditions.

Diseases

Buddleja is also more prone to mildew if left wet for long periods of time – another reason not to water too much. If you find powdery mildew on your plant, remove those stems. You can tell by the leaves turning yellow on top, or by spots of mold on their underside.

Root diseases can affect Buddleia, and again the risk increases with overwatering. If you see small, yellow flowers, this could be the reason. Improving drainage is the first step: sometimes the problem will go away on its own. If not, applying a fungicide to the roots can help.

It’s worth noting that while these diseases are rare, they can kill buddleia. The snack then? Be extra careful not to overwater this plant!

propagation

This plant is incredibly well suited to propagation from cuttings and you will often have new flowering shrubs within a year. If you want to increase the amount of buddleia in your garden or give cuttings to other people as gifts, here’s how to do it.

Prepare cutting

Cuttings should be taken in late spring. Shoots longer than 15 cm should be cut off below the knot.

The knot is the section below the first pair of leaves

To give the cutting the best chance, remove particularly large leaves. This allows the cuttings to channel their growth energy into the roots.

Place the cutting about halfway into a mixture of horticultural sand and compost. You can dip the stems in potting hormone before planting to give them an extra boost.

Then cover them with cling film or glass to keep the moisture and air warm. Check regularly and remove any dead or dying parts to maximize the cutting’s chances of survival.

When you see roots sticking out of the waterholes or the leaves look particularly lively, the cuttings are ready to be planted out.

So there you have it…

Buddleja is a strong, bright and beautiful plant. It is available in different colors, each of which will bring a slightly different ambience to your garden. Her scent is pleasant to humans and enticing to pollinators, making her a very popular choice.

There are many varieties, meaning it comes in pretty much all shapes and sizes. Choosing the right Buddleja for your garden is all about deciding how big you want it to be and what color you want it to be.

Because she is so hardy, Buddleja requires less work than many other plants. In fact, the main work is cutting them back!

We hope this guide has answered all of your questions. Happy gardening!

Pick a summer lilac

At Buddlejas there is a wide range to choose from. However, if you want to keep it simple, choose a Buddleja davidii in a color you like as these will do well in most gardens. If you are then interested in growing some of the other Buddleja available, it helps to keep the following things in mind:

Height

Many Buddleja form tall shrubs, 2.5-3 m (8-10 ft) tall, even with hard annual pruning. If you have a smaller bed or are looking for something for the front of the border or container, try one of the dwarf varieties of B. davidii such as the Buzz series or the Nanho series. These typically reach a height of 1-1.2 m (3-4 ft).

Besides cultivation as an upright or umbrella-shaped shrub (e.g. B. davidii and B. x weyeriana), it is possible to grow Buddleja as lollipop-like standards. B. alternifolia is an ideal choice to be grown on a stem by default, but you will also see B. davidii sold in this form.

colour

You can choose from a range of flower colors and their shapes range from slender spikes to rounded clusters.

resilience

Buddleia, which are fully hardy in the UK (hardiness class H5 and up), can be planted anywhere in the garden where there is sunshine. This group includes B. alternifolia, B. globosa, B. x weyeriana, B. davidii and their cultivars

Some Buddleja are hardy in most parts of the UK but will need some protection during severe winters e.g. a south-facing wall or temporary horticultural fleece insulation (generally a hardiness rating of H4). Examples include B. crispa and B. . kolvilei.

kolvilei. Tender Buddeleja, like B. madagascariensis and B. asiatica, need to be kept in a conservatory or at least grown in containers and placed in a frost-free greenhouse for the winter (hardiness class H3 and H2).

Whatever your preference, consider opting for buddleia that have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit, as these have been tested and perform well in average garden conditions

Buy summer lilac

You can buy Buddleia in 2-3 liter or larger containers at any time of the year from nurseries and nurseries. Occasionally you will also find smaller potted plants – they only need an extra year to grow and bloom well in the garden.

If you’re really interested in buddleia, you can visit a National Collection in Hampshire. They also usually offer plants for sale.

Use RHS Find a Plant to find Buddleia available near you or to find a specific plant

From House Beautiful Magazine

June 20, 2018

By LEAH ZERBE, online editor for Rodale News, where she covers the food system and environmental health issues.

They’re beautiful, but they actually do more harm than good.

If someone took 75% of your food, you wouldn’t be a happy camper. But when you grow invasive butterfly bushes and other plants that only provide nectar, you are doing so to the birds and butterflies in your own yard.

A leading wildlife ecologist wants you to think of your property – no matter how big or small – as an important link in your local ecosystem. Every plant you plant in your garden affects the local food web, even that beautiful, seemingly harmless butterfly bush.

Doug Tallamy, PhD, professor and chair of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, revealed three hard truths about butterfly bushes — and why you should stop planting them in your home.

1. Butterfly bush does not stay in your garden

Getting Rid of Buddleia: Do’s & Don’ts (Helpful Tips!)

The best way to get rid of buddleia is to cut them as close to the ground as possible. Then spray Rosate 360/a strong version of glyphosate on the remaining plant. This is probably the most efficient way to get rid of buddleia. You will notice visible results in just a few weeks.

Buddleia is considered an invasive plant. Buddleia is commonly referred to as a butterfly bush. Buddleia produces a lot of nectar.

However, these plants will not help butterflies thrive in your garden. They don’t help butterflies to thrive and produce offspring. So don’t go by the name of this plant.

Why are butterfly bushes bad?

Butterfly bush produces a lot of nectar and attracts a lot of butterflies. Eventually, butterflies will only collect nectar from this plant.

This becomes a problem for other flowering plants in your garden. They are not pollinated. The existence of the other native plants is made more difficult.

Butterfly bush is not a native plant in the US or UK. The plant is native to the eastern world. Experts don’t like having their gardens ruined by Buddleia.

Buddleia is spreading so quickly in the US that it’s been labeled a noxious weed. Being exotic, this species does not have many predators or pests.

Buddleia can breed quickly, making it a real problem for gardeners across the United States. The plant quickly spreads to new areas. It is therefore ideal for controlling its spread.

Buddleia growing through wall?

Buddleia can grow in cracks and crevices in walls. Buddleia popularly grows in the smallest cracks.

However, you can easily uproot such buddleia plants. Butterfly bushes growing in the cracks and crevices are not as established.

Buddleia has a habit of spreading quickly in an area. They even grow in the cracks of the wall to assert their dominance in an area.

How to remove buddleia from the wall?

You can spray weed killer directly onto the buddleia with a water gun. You might want to do this when the weather is dry.

The only way to get rid of the shoot is to spray buddleia with weed killer. The root remains intact within the wall. Hand picking the grass is effective to my knowledge.

Buddleia damage to buildings

Buddleia spreads via tiny, wind-borne seeds. These seeds drop in a variety of locations, including locations with crumbling brick walls.

Buddleia can grow anywhere as there are no specific pests/predators. As a result, the plant has become a topic throughout the United States.

Buddleia can penetrate brick walls with its roots and damage the walls.

Can Buddleia Damage Foundations?

Yes, Buddleia can damage building foundations. Buddleia roots grow into the foundations. Get rid of Buddleia as soon as you see him.

If the butterfly bush is small, dig it up or pull it out by hand. If the buddleia is spreading over an area, you may want to inject herbicides directly into these weeds.

Buddleia grows in the chimney?

I’ve seen buddleia growing in the chimney. This happens when some airborne buddleia seeds fall into the cracks of the chimney wall.

Buddleia can cause great damage to walls. So if you find buddleia in your chimney, remove the weeds as soon as possible.

If you find it difficult to reach, contact a weed removal company who can solve the problem. Make sure you get rid of the roots.

Repair the masonry if Buddleia has already significantly damaged it.

Does buddleia have deep roots?

Yes, Buddleia have an extensive root system. As we’ve already discussed, buddleia roots will stay in the wall if you pull them out with your hands.

Buddleia do not have the typical taproot system. Because of this, the butterfly bush plant is immune to the root rot disease.

Although Buddleia doesn’t have a taproot system, it still gets its roots tangled in the bricks of old walls.

How do I get rid of buddleia roots?

Cut the buddleia as close to the ground as possible. Cover the plant debris with a black cover to keep sunlight out of the plant. This would kill the roots of the plant.

One can use other methods to get rid of the entire plant at once.

Buddleia disposal

You have to keep in mind that Buddleia can even be propagated via cuttings. Therefore, professional disposal is crucial. Burning the waste is the most efficient way in my opinion.

Do not leave the cut branches/roots on the ground. Double bag the seed heads to prevent further weed infestation.

The best way to get rid of butterfly bushes

Cut back the butterfly bush/buddleia as close to the ground as possible. Spray this remaining part of the plant with a non-selective weed killer like Glyphosate/Roundup. Dispose of the cut plant parts carefully.

Do Copper Nails Kill Buddleia?

No, don’t even bother using copper nails. The use of copper nails is very popular among gardeners. I’ve seen some people claim it kills unwanted plants.

This comes from the notion that excess amounts of copper, if ingested by a plant, can kill the plant. However, this only happens if you stick a large chunk of copper in the bush.

I’ve seen people fail to get rid of weed bushes with copper nails. So don’t even bother trying, I would advise you to invest that time and effort into using a weed killer properly.

Does Roundup Kill Buddleia?

Yes, Roundup kills Buddleia. You need to spray the leaves of the weed so liberally that the solution reaches the roots.

If the weeds are stubborn, cut them close to the ground and then apply glyphosate to the stub. Use a stronger variety of glyphosate as this is a shrub.

I would use Rosate 360 ​​if I had a buddleia problem. If that isn’t available to you, mix some vegetable oil into the glyphosate and spray the leaves until completely wet.

You can get rid of buddleia permanently by spraying glyphosate, which is three times more concentrated than the Roundup normally used.

How to control buddleia

Uproot buddleia weeds as soon as you see them. This is the only way to fight Buddleia efficiently. Pre-emergence herbicides will not work on buddleia.

Injecting herbicides directly into butterfly bush weeds is the most efficient way to get rid of buddleia.

People usually grow these in their gardens thinking they attract butterflies. This is a mistake. The plant tries to occupy the entire garden.

Breeders have successfully produced variants of buddleia that are non-invasive. If you are so keen on growing buddleia in your garden, get these varieties.

Deadhead Buddleia

You can keep buddleia under control by cutting off the flowers before they set seeds. Check your butterfly bush weeds regularly.

Cut off the blooms of your buddleia as soon as you see them. Dispose of these cut flowers carefully.

Can you keep a butterfly bush small?

Yes, you can prune the buddleia weed regularly to keep it under control. Getting a dwarf lilac variety is also quite effective.

Try to make a schedule for pruning your butterfly bush.

I wish you a weed-free home 🙂

Buddleia davidii – or “butterfly bush” – is great at attracting various insects to feed on its nectar. For this reason it has been widely planted in wildlife friendly gardens and other open spaces since its introduction from China.

Why can Buddleia davidii be bad?

It is becoming increasingly clear that Buddleia davidii can be very invasive. She produces many small, light seeds that spread very easily. It can grow in many places, even in cracks in buildings several stories high.

Buddleia davidii can form thickets in places such as abandoned industrial sites and railway sidings and natural habitats such as chalk lawns. These places are home to a large number of invertebrate species, some of which are rare and endangered. B. davidii can quickly cover open ground – meaning these particular species can no longer live there.

But it’s so good for butterflies!

Yes, Buddleia davidii can attract a lot of butterflies, but if it’s at the expense of rare invertebrates that would otherwise live there, it’s preferable to plant non-invasive flowers so the butterflies get nectar on them.

What do I do with Buddleia davidii in the garden?

If you like your Buddleia davidii, you don’t have to remove it. However, prune it back heavily once the flowers have withered – then it won’t have a chance to disperse its seeds. Remember to dispose of the clippings properly and do not throw them over the garden fence. And when your Buddleia davidii dies, consider replacing it with non-invasive shrubs.

What can I plant instead?

There are actually some buddleia that are not considered invasive. Try Buddleia x weyeriana, which has yellow flowers that are sterile and will not seed. There are many alternative shrubs to choose from – these are all attractive garden shrubs and are non-invasive:

Berberis

heather (good for butterflies)

dogwood

hes

Lavender (good for butterflies)

mahonia

Currants (Rubus)

thyme

snowball

Are there other shrubs I should avoid?

Buddleia davidii isn’t the only shrub that has been shown to be invasive. Many of the species of cotoneaster available at garden centers are highly invasive – some so much so that it is now illegal to plant them in the country or allow them to “escape” your garden!

Other invasive shrubs include rhododendron ponticum, cherry laurel, and snowberry. Some non-native honeysuckles are invasive, and you even have to be careful about which roses you plant—Rosa rugosa is one of the worst invaders we shouldn’t let out of our gardens.

Fast-growing shrubs provide an ‘instant’ effect in the garden, perfect for filling space while slower-growing varieties establish themselves.

If you are looking to fill some gaps in your existing garden or start your garden from scratch, the following shrubs will grow vigorously to quickly fill bare corners with their lush foliage and beautiful flowers.

These options are fast-growing and full of color, ensuring minimal waiting time between planting and enjoying their beautiful displays. Also, many of them are really easy to grow and suitable for many soil types and positions, so perfect for beginners.

These are the buddleia species that I have some experience with. Some are absolutely hardy and some will benefit from a little winter protection. They come from China and the Himalayas, Africa and South America. All African and Asian buddlejas are hermaphroditic (male and female in the same flower), but many buddlejas from America are dioecious (separate male and female plants). There is some confusion because the flowers appear to have both male (stamens) and female (pistils) parts, but one or the other is non-functional. This is called cryptic dioecious, and species exhibiting this are described as cryptic dioecious. in older texts it can be called microdioecious.

I have found that many Buddleja species currently being sold are misidentified and therefore mislabeled. Wherever possible, I have tried to confirm, correct or comment on the labeling based on Leeuwenberg’s (1979) monograph.

See also:

A comprehensive and organized list of Buddleja species

(with Wikipedia links)

Looking for advice on how to plant buddleia this spring? In this informative guide, we share all of our best knowledge and tips on planting, arranging and aftercare for your buddleia shrubs. When covered in butterflies, no other garden plant brings so much joy on a summer’s day!

Buddleia, also known as the butterfly bush, is one of the UK’s most popular summer flowering shrubs. Buddleia is native to Asia and there are more than 100 species that have spread from northern India, China and South Africa to Central and South America, mostly after being introduced by the great plant hunters in the early 20th century.

Plant

Buddleia make excellent additions to the garden to attract wildlife, with butterflies and bees being big fans of this shrub. Known for its rich colors and distinctive, tubular, fragrant flowers, this vigorous, deciduous shrub is the perfect choice for summer flowering. Here are our garden and container planting guides for easy planting this spring.

In the garden

Ideal for long term borders/rock gardens. They do best when planted in full sun (or at least partial shade) and in fertile, well-drained soil. Depending on the variety, plant about 5 to 10 feet apart for a gorgeous display. Plant buddleia in spring or in autumn before the first frosts and water thoroughly after planting.

tips

When planting, loosen the soil and mix in compost and dig a hole twice the diameter of the planter.

They will not do well if grown in soil that tends to hold a lot of water in winter.

Do not plant under trees.

In containers

Use a pot that is deep enough to accommodate the roots and heavy enough to weigh down the plant. Make sure the pot has enough drainage holes to allow the roots to breathe. Place the pot in full sun and water regularly. Prune the plant back about 10-12 inches in late winter or early spring.

Our tips

Whiskey casks make great planters

Avoid garden soil that gets heavy/compact in containers.

Dwarf varieties like our miniature collection are the best choice for pots and containers.

post-treatment

When they bloom, you can snip off their stems for honey-scented bouquets of cut flowers.

Buddleia can be pruned heavily after flowering and you should prune the shoots back to strong buds/younger growth.

We recommend halving the plants in the fall when growing in windy locations.

If you remove the dead blooms and water the plants in very dry conditions, butterflies will flock to your buddleia plants.

You can cut softwood in late spring when the stems start to harden up a bit.

Discover our full range of shrubs and trees and shop all our varieties, from Buddleia to Wisteria and everything in between!

Varieties of Buddleja davidii can become very scruffy if not pruned properly. If you leave Buddleja unpruned, the only thing you see at eye level is a branching tangle of bare stems, with the flowers held at the tips of the stems, well above head height. They will also grow very large.

If pruned hard in early spring, the vigorousest cultivars will still reach 3m in height and 2m in width by summer, while the smaller forms like ‘Nanho Blue’ can be kept to less than 1.5m in height and width. Cut in mild weather.

There are exceptions to the rule. Buddleja alternifolia and Buddleja globosa flower on stems produced the previous season, so pruning back in spring would remove the flower buds. Neither should be severely pruned – instead cut off a selection of the oldest branches completely in midsummer.

On the Forum: Discuss pruning of Buddleja and other plants in our friendly online community of gardeners

Follow our easy step-by-step Buddleja pruning guide below.

Author Teresa Odle 7-6-2020

Although butterfly bushes (Buddleja davidii) are not edible, they are no more poisonous than any garden plant. They should be safe to plant where children, dogs, cats and other animals live. In fact, butterfly bushes are deer resistant. They attract hummingbirds and butterflies and feed them nectar. “Warnings” about growing the pretty shrub usually stem from the ability of some of the original hybrids to become invasive, but only in certain climates and only in some species.

Are Butterfly Bushes Poisonous to Children?

Butterfly bushes are not considered poisonous. However, it is not advisable to allow children to eat the leaves or flowers of a shrub.

Are Butterfly Bushes Poisonous to Dogs?

Butterfly bushes are neither attractive nor poisonous to dogs.

Are Butterfly Bushes Poisonous to Cats?

Butterfly bushes are not poisonous to cats.

Are Butterfly Bushes Poisonous to Other Animals?

There is no evidence that butterfly bushes are poisonous to horses, cows, or other livestock. They are also resistant to deer, so deer avoid the plants.

Butterfly bushes should not poison children, but they are also not edible.

Butterfly bushes are not considered toxic to pets.

Deer avoid eating butterfly bushes.

The shrub should not harm the livestock.

There is no evidence that butterfly bushes are poisonous to horses, cows, or other livestock. They are also resistant to deer, so deer avoid the plants.

Pet Poison Control Center

If something happens to your furry friend and you suspect he is suffering from (plant) poisoning, there is a poison control hotline you can call 24/7 for veterinary advice. It’s called the Pet Poison Hotline and has a phone number of (855) 764-7661.

Click here for a full list of pet-safe plants.

Gardeners who want to attract butterflies to their garden often plant butterfly bushes (genus Buddleia), a fast-growing shrub that flowers profusely. While butterfly bush is easy to grow, cheap to buy, and a good attractant for butterflies, some argue that it’s one of the worst butterfly garden choices.

For years, the butterfly bush (buddleia) has divided gardeners into two camps: those who plant it without apology and those who think it should be banned. Fortunately, it is now possible to plant butterfly bushes without harming the environment.

Why Gardeners Love Butterfly Bushes

Buddleia is very popular with butterfly gardeners because it is very popular with butterflies. It blooms from spring through fall (depending on your growing zone) and produces an abundance of nectar-rich blooms that butterflies can’t resist. Butterfly bush is easy to grow and tolerates poor soil conditions. It requires almost no maintenance other than an annual hard pruning (and some gardeners even skip that).

Why ecologists hate butterfly bushes

Unfortunately, a plant that produces such a bumper crop of buds will also produce a bumper crop of seeds. Buddleia is not native to North America; Butterfly bush is an exotic plant native to Asia. Ecologists considered the shrub a threat to native ecosystems due to butterfly shrub seeds escaping backyard gardens and invading forests and grasslands. Some states banned the sale of buddleia, listing it as a noxious, invasive weed.

For commercial growers and nurseries, these bans had serious consequences. According to the USDA, the production and sale of butterfly bushes was a $30.5 million business in 2009. Despite the environmental impact of buddleia, gardeners still wanted their butterfly bushes and growers wanted to continue producing and selling them.

While the butterfly bush provides nectar for butterflies, it offers no value to butterfly or moth larvae. In fact, according to entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy, in his book Bringing Nature Home, not a single native North American caterpillar from their leaves.

For gardeners who cannot live without buddleia

Butterfly bush spreads easily because it produces thousands of seeds over the course of a growing season. If you insist on growing butterfly bushes in your garden, you’re doing the right thing: Buddleia blooms all season once the blooms have faded.

Shrubs to plant instead of butterfly bush

Better yet, choose one of these native shrubs instead of the butterfly bush. Some of these native shrubs not only provide nectar but are also food plants for larvae.

Abelia x grandiflora, Glossy Abelia

Ceanothus americanus, tea from New Jersey

Cephalanthus occidentalis, Button Shrub

Clethra alnifolia, pepper bush

Cornus spp., dogwood

Kalmia latifolia, mountain laurel

Lindera benzoin, spice shrub

Salix is ​​changing color, pussy willow

Spiraea alba, narrow-leaved meadowsweet

Spiraea latifolia, broad-leaved meadowsweet

Viburnum sargentii, Sargent’s cranberry bush

Buddleia growers to the rescue

Just as you were preparing to finally compost your butterfly bushes, gardeners found a solution to the problem. Buddleia growers have produced varieties that are actually sterile. These hybrids produce so few seeds (less than 2% of traditional butterfly bushes) that they are considered non-invasive varieties. The state of Oregon, which has a strict ban on buddleia, recently changed its ban to allow these non-invasive varieties. Seems you can have your butterfly bush and plant it too.

Look for these non-invasive strains at your local nursery (or ask your favorite garden center to stock them!):

Buddleia Lo & Behold® ‘Blue Chip’

Buddleia ‘Asian Moon’

Buddleia Lo & Behold® ‘Purple Haze’

Buddleia Lo & Behold® ‘Ice Chip’ (formerly ‘White Icing’)

Buddleia Lo & Behold® ‘Lilac Chip’

Buddleia ‘Miss Molly’

Buddleia ‘Miss Ruby’

Buddleia Flutterby Grande™ Blueberry Cobbler Nectar Bush

Buddleia Flutterby Grande™ Peach Cobbler Nectar Bush

Buddleia Flutterby Grande™ Sweet Marmalade Nectar Bush

Buddleia Flutterby Grande™ Tangerine Dream Nectar Bush

Buddleia Flutterby Grande™ Vanilla Nectar Bush

Buddleia Flutterby Petite™ Snow White Nectar Bush

Buddleia Flutterby™ Pink Nectar Bush

One important thing to remember, however, is that buddleia is still an exotic plant. While it is an excellent source of nectar for adult butterflies, it is not a host plant for native caterpillars. When planning your pet-friendly garden, be sure to include native shrubs and flowers to attract the most butterflies.

Knowing how to prune buddleia is important to keep it under control, as this popular and hardy shrub can become a little unruly.

Buddleia, also known as butterfly bush, pops up in many backyards as a fast-growing shrub and its pretty, cone-shaped flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies.

With flowers ranging in color from pink and white to lavender and deep purple, produced in summer through fall, buddleia make a lovely addition to flower bed ideas. Follow these tips to stay on track with pruning and ensure your shrub puts on its best floral show.

Cutting summer lilacs – for beginners

(Image credit: Gardening Express)

Some species of buddleia can become unkempt if left to their own devices and grow into a tangle of stems. So knowing how to prune buddleia will keep them looking great and encouraging new growth and more blooms. This, in turn, will help attract butterflies and other foraging pollinators and beneficial insects that flock to the aptly named butterfly bush.

Another good reason to know how to prune the Buddliea is that “it’s both unofficially and – in some states – officially considered an invasive species by their invasive plant councils,” explains Kathleen Connolly, landscape designer and founder of Speaking of Landscapes (opens in new tab). So keeping your shrubs in check will help curb their vigorous growth.

There are both deciduous buddleia species and evergreen shrubs. Check what variety you are growing in your garden before you start using the pruning shears and secateurs.

“Large Buddleia hybrids benefit from annual pruning as they are sparsely wooded and tend to divide as they age. Many of the commonly grown buddleia hybrids grow too large for the number of roots they produce. Unless they are pruned annually, they sometimes get blown about in the wind,” explains Tony Avent, plant specialist and CEO of Plant Delights Nursery (opens in new tab) in North Carolina.

(Image credit: Future)

When should summer lilac be pruned?

As with most flowering shrubs, when the summer lilac should be pruned depends on two factors:

In which zone you live

The variety of buddleia you have in your garden

“In general, the best time to prune buddleia begins in early spring, but this will depend on the weather in your area and zone for that year. A good rule of thumb is to use the average last frost date for the zone, as determined by the USDA,” explains Nikki of Florida nursery Perfect Plants (opens in new tab).

Keep an eye on weather forecasts, especially if you live in a colder zone, and if frost is forecast in your area then wait until the weather warms up to prune. Some gardeners can start pruning in March or even late February, while others may have to wait until early May.

Most Buddleia davidii cultivars flower on new wood, so pruning in the spring will encourage an abundance of new flowers.

Buddleia should not be pruned heavily in fall, as the loss of insulating branches and stored sugars can reduce their hardiness. Wait for spring to prune your butterfly bushes,” adds Tony Avent.

There are a few exceptions to this rule, however, as some Buddleia cultivars, including B. alternifolia and B. globosa, flower on top of the previous season’s growth, so pruning back in spring would remove the flower buds. Instead, for these varieties, cut off some of the oldest branches in mid-summer after flowering, just as you cut lilacs and other shrubs growing on the previous year’s growth.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How do you prune a buddleia bush?

To prune a buddleia, first make sure you have the right tools on hand which include pruning shears or saws, secateurs and pruning shears.

To prune a buddleia that’s blooming on new growth: “We generally prune the buddleia bushes back to a height of 1 to 2 feet, but many can be cut to the ground and are recovering well,” explains Tony Avent of Plants Delights Nursery.

However, other experts advise against cutting the stems down to the ground, as they believe it could harm the plant.

“If the shrub is at the end of a border and you want it taller, prune it back to form a frame that’s up to 4 feet (1.2 m) tall,” add experts at seed specialists Thompson & Morgan (opens in new tab).

Prune all stems with pruning shears, leaving two or three sets of good buds if possible.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How to prune a buddleia that blooms on the previous year’s growth: After the shrub has bloomed, which will be mid to late summer depending on where you live, prune any stems that have bloomed into healthy buds.

For all Buddleia varieties, remove any stems that are weak, damaged, or old, woody, or ones that are rubbing against another branch.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Should I kill Buddleia?

You can kill off the faded blooms of your buddleia throughout the blooming season and at the same time as you kill roses or other summer bloomers.

Planting faded blooms back to vigorous shoots keeps the bush looking tidier and also increases the chances of a second bloom this season.

How do I get more flowers from my butterfly bush?

To get more blooms from your butterfly bush, follow pruning and die-off advice to encourage new, healthy growth.

Buddleia are typically hardy in zones 5 through 9, although if you’re growing one of the dwarf or compact varieties in a container, these may need winter protection in zones 7 and below.