ShrubsBuddleja davidii
Butterfly Bush
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.
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
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
ShrubsLavandula 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.
PerennialsEchinacea 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.
PerennialsPerovskia 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.