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Purple flower spikes of butterfly bush with butterflies visitingShrubs

Buddleja davidii

Butterfly Bush

butterfly bushbutterfly plantsummer bloomingfragrant planturban garden

Butterfly Bush is the ultimate butterfly magnet with long, fragrant flower spikes in purple, pink or white from July to September. The shrub grows quickly and flowers abundantly, even in poor soil. On every warm summer day, dozens of butterflies flock to the honey-sweet blooms.

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Before
After

Characteristics

Sun
Full sun
Water
Low
Height
150–300 cm
Spread
150–300 cm
Hardiness zone
5–9
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Evergreen
No
Flower colors
purple, pink, white
Wildlife value
butterflies, bees

Bloom period

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Care guide

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. The plant is remarkably adaptable and grows even on rubble ground and in urban settings. Barely any watering needed once established. Feed lightly in spring for extra blooms.

Pruning tips

Prune hard every spring to about 30-50 cm above the ground. This encourages vigorous new shoots and larger flower clusters. Remove spent flower heads during summer to encourage repeat flowering. Without annual pruning, the shrub quickly becomes bare at the base.

Good companions

Blooming lavender with purple-blue flowers in summer sunlightShrubs

Lavandula angustifolia

English Lavender

Lavender is a beloved herb with aromatic silver-green foliage and purple-blue flower spikes. This evergreen plant blooms profusely from June to August and is remarkably drought-tolerant, attracting butterflies and bees to the garden.

Full sunLow30–60 cm
Pink-purple coneflower with orange-brown cone in a sunny borderPerennials

Echinacea purpurea

Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower is a sturdy perennial with distinctive pink-purple petals surrounding an orange-brown cone. The flowers appear from July to September and are a magnet for butterflies and bees. In autumn and winter, the seed heads attract goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.

Full sunLow60–120 cm
Lavender-blue flower plumes of Russian Sage in a sunny gardenPerennials

Perovskia atriplicifolia

Russian Sage

Russian Sage is a graceful sub-shrub with silvery-grey aromatic foliage and airy lavender-blue flower plumes from July to September. The plant can reach 150 cm and gives borders a hazy, ethereal quality. Russian Sage is highly drought-tolerant and thrives on poor, dry soil.

Full sunLow90–150 cm