Buddleja (Butterfly Bush)

Common Names: Buddleja, Butterfly Bush, Buddlea

Origin: Asia, Africa, Americas

• Heavily fragrant flowers
• Very hardy, easy to grow
• Range of colours

Plant Type: Shrub

Uses: Feature Shrub, Cut Flowers, Butterflies

Garden Types: Cottage, Hampton, Woodland, Lush & Leafy

Buddleja are a butterfly haven! The sweet, nectar filled flowers bloom in the summer, filling the air with a heady fragrance and many, many butterflies! They also attract many other nectar loving insects like bees but not to worry, they’re too busy harvesting the yummy nectar than to go anywhere near you and your family.

These fragrant shrubs have soft, great foliage with lanceolate leaves throughout the warmer months. In the autumn the leaves fall leaving the shrub bare and ready to prune. These easy to maintain shrubs enjoy a hard prune in the late winter to clear out any dead wood and to reduce its size. In the spring it becomes aflush with new growth.

Care

Sun Requirements: A full sun or part shade position.

Water Requirements: Water regularly from spring through to autumn. In hot climates, make sure plant is watered daily to maintain lush foliage but it can tolerate drought.

Soil Requirements: Prefers moist, well-drained loamy soil. However it will tolerate most soil conditions including clay, sandy soils and low nutrient soils.

Fertilizing: Use an all purpose fertiliser such as Charlie Carp All Purpose or Osmocote Total All Purpose during the spring and throughout the warmer months. 

Pruning: Late winter just before budswell, clearing out dead or diseased wood and to reduce the shrubs size to a height more manageable. See our pruning advice page for more information.

Tolerances: Frost, poor soils, heat, drought

Pests & Diseases: Caterpillars (rare)

Key Features

Flower: Small, tubular flowers are tightly packed in long panicles, forming large flower spikes. Heavily fragrant. Found in a variety of colours including pink, purple, blue, yellow, orange, white.

Foliage: Soft green furry foliage. Lanceolate shaped opposite leaves.

Which Buddleja To Choose?

Explore our Buddleja varieties available for sale below:

Still having trouble deciding which Buddleja is right for your job? Check out our quick comparison chart below!