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Scrophulariaceae
Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii
Rebirth, the soul, transformation.
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Genus
- Buddleja
- Native to
- China, Japan
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- deciduous shrub
- Height
- 1.5–4.5 m
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, average to lean
- Water
- Low to moderate; drought tolerant
- Hardiness
- 5–10
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Did you know
- Butterfly bush is named for its irresistible attraction to butterflies — the long flower spikes are packed with honey-scented nectar.
- It's named after Reverend Adam Buddle, an English botanist who never actually saw the plant — it was named in his honor posthumously.
- Buddleja is considered invasive in many regions including the UK, US Pacific Northwest, and New Zealand, where it colonizes disturbed ground rapidly.
- Sterile cultivars have been developed in recent years to allow gardeners to enjoy the flowers without contributing to invasive spread.
- Despite the butterfly attraction, butterfly bush is not a host plant — caterpillars cannot eat its leaves, so a balanced butterfly garden also needs native host plants.