PlantFiles: Butterfly Bush, Summer Lilac, Orange-eye Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii

I grew four Butterfly Bushes from seed (starting them indoors in early spring and then planting them out in summer). They begin *very* small, but within 2 years, one of the four was almost 10 feet tall. Two others in partial shade have now (after 4 years) caught up. The fourth has never been as hardy (initially because of bad placement on my part and being moved a couple times); it's barely 3 feet tall and scraggly too. They definitely draw butterflies, and their flowers smell intoxicating from quite a distance. Seedlings sprout up all over the place. In one case, I had one seedling that sprouted and grew to about 2 feet before I realized it was there -- on the opposite side of my house from any of the other bushes I have. How the seed got there I don't know. On the other hand, I kept transplanting volunteer seedlings to one particular spot where I needed a bush (a spot with lots of sun and dry soil), and they just kept dying. I don't know if they don't like transplanting or if the spot I was moving them to was too hot and dry for them. I know that Butterfly Bushes are considered an invasive exotic, but I really love them. They seem to bloom forever. One drawback is that the plants are so tall and gangly that, especially after they start flowering and after a rain, they flop over onto surrounding plants. Last March, for the first time, I cut the biggest one back to the ground, and it grew back to its full height (although it took a while doing it). I had been told that cutting it back would make it stand up straighter, but it still flopped over. I use two rakes to prop it up (it grows next to my house, so I only need to prop from two sides, and the house does the rest).

A pretty plant, but it doesn't draw butterflies for me. Maybe I have too many other plants that are more attractive to them.

I have heard that Butterfly Bush should only be cut back in the spring; otherwise it may die overwinter. Also, from my information, it is hardy in zones 5-10.

I have grown two of the 3in1 Buddlejas for about a half a decade. One thing to consider is that one of the three colors will dominate, the white did on mine. While I do cut it back 6-8 inches every late winter/early spring the bushes seem to be declining .not growing as tall or vigorous. It could be the 3in1 variety the mail order companies sell are not as hardy, I have saved seeds and got them to grow and they did bloom the same year.

I grew a butterfly bush for 3 years also and then it suddenly died. It is a really nice plant, but how could it have died so suddenly?

I am having a problem with this plant. I have tried to grow 2 butterly bushes in the past. One didn't make it through the winter and the other didn't make it through a second winter. Niether of them grew much. I gave them special attention. Can't figure out why they died.
Now I have four of them,Two of them are really doing great. Showing grow,filling out and blooming out! The other two look bad. No new growth,no new flowers. The leaves are more gray than green! I treat them aii the same. They are in the same area. The two that are not doing well are up a bit higher on the upgrade. They are a little more in the open, but that is about the only thing I can see that is different.I really like these bushes and I want to figure out what to do to keep them alive. One last thing. We did purchase them a bit late in the season. My Huasband wonders if it was too late for them to get a good root system before out real hot weather? It has been over 90 degrees for a long time. Was 104 dgrees yesterday. I do make sure to water them. He also wondered if they need shade in this heat? They get full sun.I would appreciate it if someone would give me thie advice about this. Thanks, Deb

No plant is better to attract butterflies with than butterflybush, although lantana is a close second. It is usually cut back to control size and produce larger flowers. Without pruning it can become an unruly large shrub that can be limbed up to form a small tree. The light purple (wild) form occasionally self sows and the seedlings grow rapidly. It is rather unattractive in winter with seedheads, dead and dying leaves, and young shoots all at the same time.

To lose some in the northern climates is to be expected but I found initially I was killing them kindness.
Occaisional deep watering and good drainage so they don't sit wet in the winter cold has been reliable. Other users lament about big growth next to the house, as with mine, underscores the benefit of good drainage normally found in that location plus the radiant/ambient heat of the structure.

I have had a few volunteers indicating the seeds can be winter hardy but not invasive in this climate.

Propagation has been exceedingly easy by layering low branches in pots or in the ground. Pots are easier and reduces transplant shock. I've never lost one. Wound and layer branches in early spring and they have roots coming out of the pots by July. By Aug it will be a goodsize blooming bush.

Seeds are very fine like white eyelashes with a very tiny black dot on one end. It's best to leave seedheads on the bush and watch for the ones that ripen and then begin to split open which starts at the end of the head and works back.

I planted 2 bushes in front of our house with a full Southern exposure. It's good and bad that they LOVE it there. They both grew wider and taller than anticipated, so I'm going to have to transplant one to the back yard come Spring, and move the other one farther from the house than I originally planned. Oh well! Gardening is always a work in progress!

After 3 years of beautiful flowers at nearly 6' high, this bush suddenly died. This spring(2004) it never budded and there are just brown sticks 5' tall sticking out of the ground.

I like this bush! It starts flowering at 12" so it's the perfect shrub to grow from seed, in the begining it can be treated as a perrenial flower until it grows large, just don't cut it back in the fall unless it has reached a hieght you like.

Wonderful for luring butterflies into the yard...even blooms in shade.

I "discovered" these wonderful shrubby herbaceous plants 15 years ago. They are relatively easy to raise from seed (depending on the variety), and produce dense lavender, pink, white, or blue spikes in mid- to late- summer through frost on graceful gray-green foliage arches.

Spring pruning can help keep them in good form.