Covered in bright, bold panicles made up of dainty florets, each bush bears a different coloration or blend. Each butterfly bush is beautifully scented with a delicate perfume, perfect for luring butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to your property.
Easy to grow and maintain, our colorful butterfly bushes for sale are the perfect addition to your garden. Choose from bright pink, purple, peach, or a more pastel-colored butterfly bush to fit your color scheme. These heavily flowered plumes even resemble lilacs in their beauty, but butterfly bushes are more than just a pretty plant--they're pollinator powerhouses that help create a healthy garden!
When To Plant Butterfly Bushes
Butterfly bushes, along with many types of shrubs and bushes, can be planted in the spring or in early fall before frost sets in, allowing enough time for their roots to develop well. In either season, we'll ship your plants to you at the right time for planting. If you live in a very cold planting zone, you may want to apply a few inches of mulch around your butterfly bush for the first winter or two to ensure the roots aren't damaged.
How to Plant Butterfly Bushes
Butterfly bushes, or buddleia, are incredibly easy to plant and grow! Simply choose a location with plenty of sunlight--at least eight hours per day is ideal--and well-draining soil. You don't need highly fertile soil for these shrubs, and they actually prefer lightweight, sandy planting areas, so no compost is needed for planting. Plant directly into your natural soil!
Plant your butterfly bush so that the previous soil line on the stem is even with the ground. Begin filling the hole with soil, working it around the roots. When half filled, tamp the soil down to remove air pockets. Finish filling the hole, creating a 'saucer' of soil around the plant for water. Water in well. If you are fall planting and live in a cold climate, a layer of mulch will protect the roots.
How Tall Do Butterfly Bushes Grow
Butterfly bushes come in a variety of sizes! Some dwarf varieties work in containers or the front of beds, while taller varieties can grow up to ten feet in height. These are some of the tallest ornamental shrubs in the garden!
When Do Butterfly Bushes Bloom
Butterfly bushes bloom in early or mid-summer, and most varieties will keep their color right through fall. Those long panicles, or clusters, of flowers will stay vibrant for weeks, blooming continuously for up to three months.
How To Care For Butterfly Bushes
Butterfly bushes are easy-care plants with huge floral payoff. They require little water, except during very dry periods, and they perform best when they aren't fertilized. What's not to love there? In the spring, apply a thin layer of mulch to prevent weeds from growing around the plants--but keep it thin! Too much mulch can hold too much moisture and keep the ground wet.
The biggest care need of butterfly bushes? Deadheading to avoid spread. Chinese varieties of butterfly bushes are known as invasive species in some regions of the United States. Others are native to the US, and stay smaller and less invasive. However, most ornamental butterfly bushes are of the invasive category. For these butterfly bushes, deadheading is important. Deadhead the flowers just as they start to wither, so that the plants don't spread "volunteer" seeds. Removing the spent flowers can also encourage new shoots and flower buds, keeping your butterfly plants "bushy."
When To Prune Butterfly Bushes
Each year, you should prune your butterfly bushes to avoid them growing overly leggy. The best time to prune butterfly bushes is in very early spring, or even late winter, as soon as new growth begins to emerge. These plants bloom on new wood, so pruning in summer or fall won't keep--you'll need to prune again after the cold season. And, fall pruning can leave your plants susceptible to winter damage. Prune after you see green buds begin to form on the plants, which can be in later spring in colder regions.
Keep in mind, too, that springtime pruning doesn't replace growth-season deadheading. In some states, deadheading is even mandated for butterfly bushes, as they tend to invade unless deadheaded regularly. As soon as the flowers wilt, pull them from the plant so that they don't become volunteer, fly-away saplings.
How To Prune Butterfly Bushes
In most climates, you can prune your butterfly bushes all the way to the ground, or very near. Wait until leaf buds have formed, and make your cuts just above those new buds. That means you're cutting to just a few inches above the ground. But, don't worry about your plants staying short! Butterfly bushes grow back to their full height each year.
