Buy Butterfly Bush

Butterfly bush is an invasive plant, meaning it crowds out beneficial plants that have naturally grown in your community for centuries. This species originally from Asia readily takes over space where native North American plants would normally thrive. In fact, Buddleja davidii (the scientific name for butterfly bush) has certain traits that make it invasive in most environments.

buy butterfly bush

These insects also require proper host plants so they can reproduce. Their larval offspring have to feed on the leaves of native species like butterfly weed, other milkweeds, joe-pye weed, and oak trees.

Butterfly bush growth appears on new wood, so pruning can wait until the new wood is ready to grow in spring. Be patient with Buddleja since the shrub might not leaf out in the spring until after other perennials.

Please note that the butterfly bush, originally imported from China, has been classified as an invasive species in many U.S. states as its known to crowd out native plants that are essential to wildlife. In warm climates, it can become a noxious weed and spread aggressively, while in cooler climates, it mostly stays contained if gardeners deadhead the flowers.

If you would still like to put a butterfly bush in your garden, there are a few species of non-invasive butterfly bushes native to the southwestern US. Please check with your local cooperative extension for more information.

We are no longer recommending new plantings of the butterfly bush, given its categorization as an invasive in most of North America. Instead, we recommend using plants that better support the native landscape and food web, given our declining pollinator population. See alternative plants that attract butterflies.

Creating pollinator gardens and providing habitat for butterflies, birds and beneficial insects is very popular in today's eco-conscious world. One of the stars of the butterfly garden is the butterfly bush. They bloom from midsummer until fall in a variety of flower colors ranging from white to deep purple. They are standouts in any garden, not just ones used to attract butterflies.When & Where to Plant Butterfly BushLight: 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.\r\nSoil: Butterfly bushes are not particular about the soil conditions, as long as it drains well. Poorly-drained soils can cause root rot.\r\nSpacing: Space butterfly bushes 5 to 10 feet apart depending on the variety. Plant dwarf varieties closer together.\r\nPlanting: Plant butterfly bushes in early spring or fall. If planting in midsummer in hot climates, be sure to provide plenty of water and even some afternoon shade.Gently disturb any thick roots before planting.Plant Butterfly Bush in a prepared hole that's twice the width and depth of its rootball.Press firmly around the plant, to prevent the soil from settling, sinking and potentially collecting excess water.How to Grow Butterfly Bush Throughout the SeasonGrowth Habit: Butterfly bushes grow 2 to 10 feet tall and wide. The species versions grow the largest and produce the most flowers. New breeding has created many dwarf varieties that fit better in the landscape.\r\nThis woody shrub can die back to the ground in climates colder than USDA zone 5. In warmer areas, it regrows consistently each spring from old wood. The leaves can be thin, narrow and silver-green colored. Some varieties have green and yellow variegated leaves. The fragrant flowers form on 5- to 12-inch-long clusters in white, blue, lavender, pink, orange, purple, yellow with many intermediate shades.\r\nStaking: Butterfly bushes grown in full sun have strong-enough stems that will hold the flower clusters upright and will not need staking. Tall varieties grown in part shade may have leggy and floppy stems that benefit from a cage of chicken wire wrapped around the plant, or staking of individual branches with a metal or wooden stake before flowering.\r\nWatering: Butterfly bushes grow best in moist, well-drained soils. Keep the soil consistently moist all summer for best growth and flowering especially during hot, dry weather.Dwarf varieties of Butterfly Bush will naturalize an area, expanding horizontally more than vertically.Fertilizing: Amend the soil at planting time with compost. Each spring, add a 2- to 3-inch thick layer of compost around the base of the plants. The compost not only feeds the plant roots, but also enhances the organic matter in the soil so that it stays consistently moist.\r\nMulching: Mulch in early spring with a 2- to 3-inch thick layer of shredded bark mulch or leaf mold to prevent weed growth and to conserve soil moisture. Keep the mulch away from the branch stems and crown to avoid rot diseases.\r\nTrimming & Pruning: Deadhead (snip off) spent butterfly bush flowers after they start to fade to tidy up the plant, encourage more blossoms to form, and prevent self-sowing. Prune butterfly bushes in early spring to remove winter-injured, diseased and broken branches. In cold climates, the branches may die back to the root system during harsh winters. Wait until late spring to decide if the branch is dead. Butterfly bushes can be slow to leaf out in spring. If dead, prune back to the ground.\r\nFor taller butterfly bushes with healthy growth, prune all the branches back to one foot off the ground in early spring to stimulate new growth and more flowering.Butterfly Bush: End of Season CareDividing & Transplanting: Butterfly bushes can be divided and transplanted in early spring or fall. Moisten the soil around the shrub and dig up the clump. Separate sections of roots with some shoots and replant in a similar location in compost amended soil.\r\nButterfly bushes can also be propagated by stem cuttings. In late spring and early summer take a 4- to 6-inch long cutting of a new stem once the stem is sturdy enough to not bend. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder and stick the cuttings in a pot filled with moistened potting soil. Keep the cutting out of direct sun and well-watered.\r\nButterfly bushes can be grown from seed, but they will take a long time to reach a flowering stage, so division or stem cuttings are better routes to making more plants.\r\nPests\/ Disease: Butterfly bushes are relatively pest-free plants. Spider mites can attack the foliage during periods of summer heat and drought. During wet periods, rot diseases can attack the root system especially on poorly drained soils.\r\nThe biggest problem with butterfly bushes in northern areas is not surviving the winter. To protect butterfly bushes from harsh winters in the northern end of its range, add a 4- to 6-inch thick layer of bark mulch over the root system in late fall to protect the roots from winter temperatures and winds.A Black Swallowtail visits a Butterfly Bush.Butterfly Bush: Extra InfoButterfly bushes have been found to be invasive in some areas and are listed as such on some state invasive plant lists. To avoid this problem, deadhead the flowers religiously, plant butterfly bush alternatives that aren't invasive or grow sterile seeded varieties.To learn more about the plants & seeds we sell and how to grow them in your garden beds and patio containers, sign up for our inspiring emails. Shop Butterfly Bush\r\nLearn More About Butterfly Bush"}] var nowUnixtime = parseInt(Date.now() / 1000); function klevufejs_getCookie() var c = "", ca = decodeURIComponent(document.cookie).split(';'); for (var i = 0; i JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 041b061a72