Butterflybush (Buddleja davidii). Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Updated: February 22, 2023
About butterfly bush(Buddlejadavidii)
Life cycle/information:Butterfly bush, also called summer lilac, is a deciduous shrub bearing wands of purple, pink, or white flowers at the branch tips from summer to fall. Introduced from Asia around 1900, butterfly bush has escaped cultivated plantings and is found in wild areas of at least 20 states. It crowds out native plants that would provide essential food for butterflies, birds, and other wildlife.
Growth habit:Fast-growing andinvasive.This woody shrub grows 3-15’ tall in a single season. Leaves are opposite, pale-gray, with toothed or wavy margins. Flowers are grouped in a cluster at the branch tips and bloom from mid-summer to fall. Flowers can be purple, pink, lilac, or white, with yellow to orange centers. Abundant nectar is attractive to adult butterflies, but no native North American butterfly caterpillars can use butterfly bush as a host plant food source. Without host plants for caterpillars, butterflies cannot survive.
Invasive Plants to Avoid Buying for your Yard and Garden in Maryland
Photo: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Reproduction:Each flower produces a capsule containing many small seeds. Seeds are dispersed by wind and water. Butterfly bushes do not spread vegetatively.
Conditions that favor growth:Establishes in sunny, dry, disturbed sites with well-drained soils. It also colonizes riparian areas such as stream and river banks.
Photo: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
What to plant instead: New York Ironweed(Vernonia noveboracensis), New England Aster(Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Sweet Pepperbush(Clethra alnifolia), Virginia Sweetspire(Itea virginica), Butterfly Weed(Asclepias tuberosa),Blazing Star(Liatris spicata)
Controlling butterfly bush
Dig out plants. Remove spent flowers before they set seeds.
Additional resources and references
Kaufman, Sylvan Ramsey & Wallace Kaufman. 2007. Invasive Plants: Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North American Species.
Swearingen J., K. Reshetiloff, B. Slattery, and S. Zwicker. 2002. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas. National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, DC.
Tallamy, Douglas W. 2007. Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens, Timber Press.
Compiled by Christa Carignan, reviewed by DebraRicigliano, University of Maryland Extension, 5/2018
Still have a question? Contact us atAsk Extension.
FAQs
Give your butterfly bush regular deep watering based on weather (more in peak heat or drought, for example) and prune it each spring. Assuming sun, rain, and pruning all come together, the bush should bloom fully and continuously throughout summer.
What month do you plant butterfly bushes? ›
Spacing: Space plantss 5 to 10 feet apart depending on the variety. Plant dwarf varieties closer together. Planting: Plant in early spring or fall. If planting in midsummer in hot climates, be sure to provide plenty of water and even some afternoon shade.
What are the negatives of the butterfly bush? ›
A single butterfly bush flower can produce 40,000 seeds and each bush is filled with many flowers. In these natural areas, the butterfly bush becomes an invasive plant. It's considered a noxious weed in some regions because it can out-compete native plants and destroy habitat.
Do butterfly bushes like sun or shade? ›
Butterfly bushes are full sun plants. That means they should get at least six hours of bright sun each day. It doesn't need to come all at once – it can be in chunks throughout the day. In very hot climates, a bit of afternoon shade is permissible.
What happens if you don't cut back a butterfly bush? ›
But without regular pruning, butterfly bushes can become sparse, and flowering can diminish, leaving next to nothing for pollinators.
Are coffee grounds good for butterfly bushes? ›
The coffee grinds provide nitrogen & tannic acids to the soil. Acid loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries, butterfly weed, camellias, ferns, gardenias, lupines & rhododendrons especially love coffee grinds.
What should I plant next to a butterfly bush? ›
Milkweed (Asclepias)
Want to attract even more butterflies to your garden? Plant milkweed next to your butterfly bush! Milkweed is a native perennial and the sole host plant to the Monarch butterfly. It is essential for promoting pollinator life and biodiversity.
How often should I water a butterfly bush? ›
Butterfly Bush Care
Give butterfly bush about an inch of water a week while they're actively growing, if rain isn't sufficient, but don't worry if you occasionally forget to irrigate. In the first year after planting, these bushes need regular water to develop strong roots.
What is the lifespan of a butterfly bush? ›
Typically, a butterfly bush will live about 10 years. You may find some plants that live longer than that, but it's a rare case. Proper care of a butterfly bush will help it live longer and thrive in your garden.
Do hummingbirds like butterfly bushes? ›
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) has become very popular due to the growing interest in butterfly gardens. These beautiful shrubs make attractive landscape plants, and are known to be magnets for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects.
The Asian tiger mosquito is attracted to flowering butterfly bushes, giving mosquito control officials another tool to monitor and trap the insect that can transmit pathogens, causing potentially deadly diseases, a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study shows.
What to plant instead of a butterfly bush? ›
Fortunately, there are great choices available. My personal top choice is Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). This 6-to-12-foot-high shrub sets fabulous cylindrical white flowers that attract not only butterflies, but bees, hummingbirds and songbirds, as well as serving as host plant for two kinds of Lepidoptera.
Is butterfly bush toxic to dogs? ›
Is Butterfly Bush Toxic for Dogs? While they are not edible, they are also not poisonous to dogs, cats, or humans.
How tall does a butterfly bush get? ›
Butterfly bushes come in 2 general categories- a “larger” size that grows between 3 to 5 feet in width and 5 to 10 feet in height and the “dwarf” size that grows between 2 to 4 feet in width and 2 to 4 feet in height. There are various colors and bloom shapes that come in both categories.
What time of year do you cut back butterfly bushes? ›
They might be four or five feet tall, you might want to shorten those down to one or two and that will encourage a lot of new, young vigorous growth to come up and you'll get a lot more flowers. So, whenever a shrub blooms in the summer, you want to cut it back, generally in late winter or early spring.
Does a butterfly bush need to be cut down every year? ›
Butterfly bushes do not need to be pruned every year. In fact, you only need to prune them when they get too large for the space allotted. But since butterfly bushes only bloom on new growth many gardeners prune them severely each spring to encourage lots of new growth and lots of flowers.
How do you rejuvenate a butterfly bush? ›
grab your pruners and begin the process called heading back. You're basically cutting the plant to a couple of inches off the ground, which ultimately results in dense new growth. This early pruning helps you look at the framework of your bush without much foliage to distract you.
