Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (2024)

Table of Contents
Pink Delight Butterfly Bush Black Knight Butterfly Bush Empire Blue Butterfly Bush Adonis Blue Butterfly Bush Petite Snow Butterfly Bush Honeycomb Butterfly Bush Flutterby Petite Blue Heaven® Butterfly Bush Pugster Periwinkle® Butterfly Bush Pugster White® Butterfly Bush Pugster Pinker® Butterfly Bush Pugster Blue® Butterfly Bush Lo and Behold® Blue Chip Jr. Butterfly Bush Lo and Behold® Pink Micro Chip Butterfly Bush Prince Charming Butterfly Bush Miss Violet Butterfly Bush Miss Molly Butterfly Bush Queen of Hearts Butterfly Bush Nanho Purple Butterfly Bush White Profusion Butterfly Bush Sungold Butterfly Bush References

Gardening

Shrubs

By

Shelby Vittek

Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (1)

Shelby Vittek

Shelby Vittek has written about home organization, food, farming, and travel for 12 years. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, The Kitchn, National Geographic, and more.

Learn more about The Spruce'sEditorial Process

Published on 06/09/24

Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (2)

Butterfly bushes (Buddleja davidii) come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Also known as summer lilac or orange eye, the butterfly bush is native to central China and Japan, and is widely grown as an ornamental plant.

These fast-growing shrubs get their name from the eye-catching, fragrant flowers they produce, which attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds. Butterfly bushes are perennial plants that will bloom from summer through autumn, and can grow between six and 15 feet tall.

Want to attract more butterflies to your yard this year? Here are 20 beautiful butterfly bush varieties to grow in your garden.

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  • 01 of 20

    Pink Delight Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (3)

    A medium-sized shrub, the pink delight butterfly bush produces an abundance of vibrant pink elongated flowers. Easy-to-grow and a prolific bloomer, it's favored by butterflies and gardeners alike.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Pink Delight'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Bright pink
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 6-8 feet tall, 4-6 feet wide

  • 02 of 20

    Black Knight Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (4)

    This butterfly bush features dark blooms ranging from purple to black, hence its dramatic name.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Dark purple to black
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 6-10 feet tall, 5-6 feet wide

  • 03 of 20

    Empire Blue Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (5)

    The empire blue butterfly bush—introduced by Ohio's Good & Reese Nursery in 1941—is a low-maintenance shrub that produces vibrant and fragrant violet flowers.

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    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Empire Blue'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Violet blue
    • Light: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 5 feet tall, 5 feet wide

  • 04 of 20

    Adonis Blue Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (6)

    The Adonis blue butterfly bush is beloved for its deeply colored blueish flowers and dwarf size. It can also be grown as container plants in milder climates.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Adokeep'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Deep purple to blue
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 4-5 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide

    Continue to 5 of 20 below

  • 05 of 20

    Petite Snow Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (7)

    This easy-to-grow petite shrub has large spikes of white flowers that make a great accent to a range of other plants and flowers in your garden bed.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Monite'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: White
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 4-7 feet tall, 3-9 feet wide

  • 06 of 20

    Honeycomb Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (8)

    The Honeycomb's creamy-yellow flowers sets it apart from most butterfly bush varieties. Adorned with an orange eye, the blossoms attract butterflies, moths, and other important pollinators.

    • Name: Buddleja x weyeriana 'Honeycomb'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Yellow, gold
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 5-7 feet tall, 4-5 feet wide

  • 07 of 20

    Flutterby Petite Blue Heaven® Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (9)

    This compact branching shrub produces showy violet-blue blooms with green-gray foliage. It is also deer resistant.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii x 'Podaras #8'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 10
    • Flower Color: Violet-blue
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 2-3 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide

  • 08 of 20

    Pugster Periwinkle® Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (10)

    The Pugster® Periwinkle from Proven Winners is a dwarf butterfly bush that offers a compact size with normal-sized and hardy blooms.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'SMNBDO'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Purple
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 2 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide

    Continue to 9 of 20 below

  • 09 of 20

    Pugster White® Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (11)

    This compact butterfly bush variety has a dwarf growth habit, meaning it is slow growing and generally do not grow as tall vertically. Its fragrant white flowers and compact size make it a great addition to garden beds around patios or porches.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'SMNBDW'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: White
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 2 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide

  • 10 of 20

    Pugster Pinker® Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (12)

    The Pugster Pinker®butterfly bush offers full-sized pink flowers that have orange centers on a dwarf plant, which are perfect for small yards.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii x'SMNBDB'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Pink
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 2 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide

  • 11 of 20

    Pugster Blue® Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (13)

    This dwarf butterfly bush variety produces blue or blue-purple flowers that have yellow-orange eyes in the center, and is beloved by butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii x 'SMNBDBT'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Blue, blueish purple
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 2 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide

  • 12 of 20

    Lo and Behold® Blue Chip Jr. Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (14)

    The Lo and Behold® Blue Chip Jr. butterfly bush is a space-saving flowering shrub that is resistant to deer, with fragrant and colorful blossoms that will attract butterflies all summer long.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Blue Chip Jr.'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Blue, light purple
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 1-2.5 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide

    Continue to 13 of 20 below

  • 13 of 20

    Lo and Behold® Pink Micro Chip Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (15)

    If you're short on space and want to add a pop of pink in your garden, this compact butterfly bush variety is a great option.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii x'Pink Micro Chip'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Pink
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 1.5-2 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide

  • 14 of 20

    Prince Charming Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (16)

    The bright raspberry-colored hues of the Prince Charming butterfly bush cultivar is a welcome burst of color in any garden.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Prince Charming'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Pink to red
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 3-4 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide

  • 15 of 20

    Miss Violet Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (17)

    Aptly named for its vibrant violet flowers, the Miss Flower butterfly bush is a compact and prolific bloomer.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Miss Violet'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Dark purple, violet
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 4-5 feet tall, 4-5 feet wide

  • 16 of 20

    Miss Molly Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (18)

    Like its sister Miss Violet, the Miss Molly butterfly bush variety has intensely colored flowers that are as attractive to pollinators as they are to the human eye.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Miss Molly'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Deep pink to red
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 4-5 feet tall, 4-5 feet wide

    Continue to 17 of 20 below

  • 17 of 20

    Queen of Hearts Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (19)

    The magenta-hued flowers on the queen of hearts butterfly bush can grow to seven to nine inches in length, making them a great addition to any flower garden or bouquet.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Queen of Hearts'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Magenta, pink, red
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 2-3 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide

  • 18 of 20

    Nanho Purple Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (20)

    The Nanho purple cultivar features densely-packed and fragrant purple flowers on a compact plant. In addition to butterflies, the flowers attract hummingbirds and bees.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'Monum'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: Purple
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 3-5 feet tall, 3-5 feet wide

  • 19 of 20

    White Profusion Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (21)

    A vigorous and easy-to-grow shrub, the white profusion butterfly bush variety has bright white flowers with silvery undertones. Add it to your cottage garden or butterfly garden for a sophisticated look.

    • Name: Buddleja davidii 'White Profusion'
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color: White
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 6-12 feet tall, 4-15 feet wide

  • 20 of 20

    Sungold Butterfly Bush

    Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (22)

    Add a burst of sunshine in your garden with the sungold butterfly bush, which produces gold-yellow flowers. Because it can grow as tall as 15 feet tall, you can plant several along your property line to act as a privacy shrub.

    • Name: Buddleja × weyeriana 'Sungold
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 11
    • Flower Color: Yellow, gold
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-drained, fertile
    • Mature Size: 8-15 feet tall, 4-10 feet wide

FAQ

  • What is the most hardy butterfly bush?

    The Pugster® series of butterfly bushes—including Pugster® Periwinkle, Pugster® White Dwarf, Pugster® Pinker, and Pugster® Blue butterfly bushes—were bred specifically for hardiness. Their compact size and thicker, sturdier stems ensure better winter hardiness and the plants still produce full-sized flowers.

  • Where is the best place to plant butterfly bush?

    Butterfly bushes grows well in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in a full sun location. If planting more than one, space them at least five to six feet apart.

  • What is the most common butterfly bush?

    The term 'butterfly bush' refers to more than 140 species in the Buddleja or Buddleia genus, the most popular of which is Buddleia davidii, are a popular choice for landscapes.

How to Create a Butterfly Garden

Want More Butterflies in Your Garden This Year? Try These 20 Butterfly Bush Varieties (2024)

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