BUTTERFLY BUSH PROFILE
PLANT PROFILE BUDDELIA
Plant type: shrub
Hardiness Zone 5-9
Plant Care category: easy
Bloom Time: mid summer to late fall
Color: variety of colors available white, pink, mauve, purple and red
Size: 6 ft. to 10 ft. in height width approx same, fast grower
Uses: Beds and Borders, Cut Flower, Specimen Plant/ Focal Point
Light Requirements: prefers full sun but will tolerate part shade
Soil Requirements: Medium Moisture
Pruning: late winter early spring cut back to 3ft
Butterfly bushes are fragrant carefree deciduous shrubs that are a reliable easy to grow plant. Butterflies flock to their blooms all summer long. . The 8- to 12-inch-long flower spikes begin in late summer and bloom until frost,
Noteworthy characteristics: Good cut flower, Very fragrant, Vigorous growth.
Care: Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Cut back to the ground in late winter or early spring.
Propagation: Root semi-ripe cuttings in summer or sow seed at 66° to 75°F in spring.
Problems: Fungal leaf spots and diebacks can occur. Buddleia is susceptible to capsid bug, caterpillars, weevils, mullein moth, and spider mites.
The Butterfly Bush is one of the best garden ornamental shrubs to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Blooms late summer to early fall. Has a strong Vanilla fragrance. In colder climates, it behaves like a sub-shrub — its root systems over winter but most of the upper plant does not. Early in the springtime the plant should be cut it back to within 8-12″ above the ground to encourage new growth for that years bloom season. In some areas it can be very late to leaf. Sometimes not showing any signs of life until the begging of June but this is usually in colder zones! Do not give up on the plant prematurely, grows best in sun to part shade in well-drained but moist, soil.