Butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) are grown for their long panicles of colorful flowers and their ability to attract butterflies and beneficial insects. They bloom in spring and summer, but the naturally attractive shape of the shrub and evergreen foliage keep the bush interesting, even when it is not in bloom. These tough plants tolerate a variety of conditions and are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Find out more about butterfly bush planting and care.
Butterfly Bush Planting
Planting a butterfly bush in an optimum location minimizes the time you'll spend on maintenance. Choose a sunny or partly shaded area where the soil is well-drained. Soil that is constantly wet encourages rot.
When planted in good quality garden soil, a butterfly bush rarely needs fertilizer. Give your butterfly bush plenty of room. The plant tag will tell you the mature size of the cultivar you have chosen.
Although butterfly bushes tolerate severe pruning to maintain a smaller size, you can reduce the time you'll spend pruning by planting it in a location with plenty of room for the plant to develop its natural size and shape.
Butterfly bushes grow from 6 to 12 feet (2-4 m.) tall with a spread of 4 to 15 feet (1-4.5 m.). NOTE: Butterfly bush is considered an invasive plant in many regions. Check with your local extension office prior to planting to ensure that the plant is permitted in your area.
How to Care for a Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bush care is easy. Water the shrub slowly and deeply during prolonged dry spells so that the soil absorbs the water deep into the root zone. The plants don't need fertilization unless grown in poor soil. Fertilize with a 2 inch (5 cm.) layer of compost over the root zone or scratch in some general-purpose fertilizer if you need to enrich the soil.
Cover the root zone with a 2 to 4 inch (5-10 cm.) layer of mulch. This is particularly important in cold climates where the roots need winter protection. The most labor-intensive part of caring for butterfly bushes is deadheading.
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In spring and summer, remove the spent flower clusters promptly. Seed pods develop when the flower clusters are left on the plant. When the pods mature and release their seeds, weedy young plants emerge. The seedlings should be removed as soon as possible.
Young shrubs that are cut off at ground level may re-emerge, so remove the roots along with the top growth. Don't be tempted to transplant the seedlings into other parts of the garden. Butterfly bushes are usually hybrids, and the offspring probably won't be as attractive as the parent plant.
Problems with Butterfly Bushes
Problems with butterfly bushes include root rot and the occasional caterpillar. Planting the shrub in well-drained soil usually eliminates the chances of root rot. The symptoms are yellowing leaves, and in severe cases, twig or stem dieback.
Any time you grow a plant that attracts butterflies, you can expect caterpillars. In most cases the damage is minimal and you will have to stand close to the shrub to notice it. It's best to leave the caterpillars alone unless their feeding activity does substantial damage to the shrub.
Japanese beetles sometimes feed on butterfly bushes. Using insecticides to control Japanese beetles is usually ineffective, and more likely to destroy the abundance of beneficial insects attracted to the shrub than the beetles.
Use traps and handpick the insects, and treat the lawn for grubs, which are the larval form of Japanese beetles.
FAQs
Butterfly Bush Care
Where's the best place to plant a butterfly bush? ›
Butterfly bush need full sun.
When we say full sun, we mean it – butterfly bush require a minimum of 8 hours of bright sunlight. Even in warm climates, plant them where they get no fewer than 6 hours of sun.
How to plant and care for butterfly bushes? ›
Light: Butterfly bushes grow and flower best in full sun. They will grow fine in part shade, especially in warmer climates, but their flowering may be reduced. Soil: Butterfly Bushes are not particular about the soil conditions, as long as it drains well. Poorly-drained soils can cause root rot.
How do I keep my butterfly bush blooming all summer? ›
Pruning and Deadheading
Deadheading your plants means snipping off any browning flower clusters to encourage more flowering though the bloom season. Butterfly bushes bloom best on younger, vigorous growth and later in the season.
How do you make a butterfly bush thrive? ›
Butterfly bushes are full sun plants. That means they should get at least six hours of bright sun each day. It doesn't need to come all at once – it can be in chunks throughout the day. In very hot climates, a bit of afternoon shade is permissible.
Are coffee grounds good for butterfly bushes? ›
A. Coffee grounds are a good source of slow-release nitrogen. They can be worked directly into the soil around your plants or added to your compost heap.
How often should I water a newly planted butterfly bush? ›
Give butterfly bush about an inch of water a week while they're actively growing, if rain isn't sufficient, but don't worry if you occasionally forget to irrigate. In the first year after planting, these bushes need regular water to develop strong roots.
What is a good fertilizer for butterfly bushes? ›
Organic fertilizers, like manure, can also be used with good results. The material should be worked into open soil at a rate of one bushel per one 6′ shrub or 100 sq. ft. of bed area.
How do I keep my butterfly bush healthy? ›
Butterfly bush care is easy. Water the shrub slowly and deeply during prolonged dry spells so that the soil absorbs the water deep into the root zone. The plants don't need fertilization unless grown in poor soil. Fertilize with a 2 inch (5 cm.)
How do I make my butterfly bush fuller? ›
Remove the spent blooms periodically during the summer to encourage additional new growth and subsequent flowers until frost. If they have already started to leaf out, you can still prune them back some, but if you prune below new shoots, it will take much longer for it to fill out this year.
"Butterfly bushes do best in full sun — or as much sun as you can provide," says Collins.
Do hummingbirds like butterfly bushes? ›
As you can imagine, the butterfly bush is famous for attracting butterflies, though hummingbirds enjoy its large, fragrant flowers as well. This perennial can grow five to 12 feet tall and spread four to 15 feet. Blossom colors vary, but pink, purple, red and white are the most common.
What month do you plant butterfly bushes? ›
Butterfly bushes do best when planted in early spring or summer, but when the temperatures are hotter keep them well-watered. An island bed planted with a butterfly bush (or several) will help attract these lovely pollinators. Other places to use them include perennial beds and borders and cottage or wildlife gardens.
What happens if you don't cut back a butterfly bush? ›
But without regular pruning, butterfly bushes can become sparse, and flowering can diminish, leaving next to nothing for pollinators. So keep pruning to keep the butterflies coming to your garden for years to come!
How deep to plant a butterfly bush? ›
How to Plant
- Loosen the soil from 12 to 15 inches deep and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.
- Dig a hole twice the diameter of the plant container.
- When placing the plant in the hole, the top of the rootball should be level with the soil surface. Gently backfill the hole around the rootball. ...
- Water thoroughly.
Butterfly bush is usually planted from potted nursery starts or planted from seeds in the spring. It is a very fast-growing plant that usually reaches maturity within a single growing season, but some wariness is warranted, as this plant self-seeds so readily that it is considered a noxious weed in some regions.
Do butterfly bushes come back every year? ›
Butterfly bushes are perennial plants that die back to the ground every winter. They then send out new growth from the roots in the spring. You can prune them either in the late fall or in the early spring before the new growth starts. It is best to prune them back to about 12 inches from the ground.
