butterfly bush buddleja davidii
If there’s one plant that should be in every butterfly garden, this is it. Its fragrant spikes of pink, purple or white flowers will draw in almost any passing butterfly.
Butterfly bush can grow tall and lanky. But you can keep it looking neater and blooming at a height where you’ll enjoy watching the visiting butterflies. Simply cut it back to 6 to 12 in. each spring and it’ll still reach 3 to 5 ft. or more by midsummer and bloom beautifully. Wait to cut until you see some signs of new growth. Be patient. You may have lots of perennials up and blooming before butterfly bush decides to finally show its silvery gray foliage.
TYPE Shrub or woody perennial SIZE 3 to 10 ft. tall and wide BLOOM Purple, pink, white and yellow in mid- to late summer LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 5 to 9 Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1
