Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii · Deciduous Shrub (often treated as a small tree in warmer climates)
Plant Family
Scrophulariaceae
Tree Category
Ornamental / Flowering Shrub
Variety / Cultivar
Unknown (species type or common garden cultivar)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 5-9; may die back to the ground in colder zones but regrows from the roots in spring.
About This Tree
An arching, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that can grow with a tree-like form if pruned. Known for its cone-shaped floral panicles and fuzzy, gray-green foliage.
Leaf Characteristics
Opposite arrangement, lance-shaped to ovate, 4-10 inches long, finely serrated margins, velvety/fuzzy texture with a grayish-white underside.
Bark Characteristics
Young stems are green/fuzzy; mature bark becomes light brown, fibrous, and slightly peeling or furrowed with age.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to central China and Japan; widely naturalized in North America and Europe.
Growing Season
Leafs out in mid-spring; flowers from mid-summer through autumn frosts; enters dormancy in late fall.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full Sun (6+ hours daily); low to moderate water once established; excellent drought tolerance.
Mature Size
6 to 12 feet tall and wide; growth rate is very fast; typically a shorter-lived woody plant (10-20 years).
Special Characteristics
Prolific profusion of nectar-rich flowers; extremely fast growth; can be invasive in certain riparian ecosystems; high pollution tolerance.
Wildlife & Ecology
Highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds; provides nectar source when other plants are dormant; host plant for several moth species.