A collection of tiny to medium-sized blooming shrubs known as butterfly bush (botanical name Buddleja or Buddleia). From summer through fall, butterfly bushes produce gorgeous clusters of colorful blossoms. Purple, white, pink, and orange blooms adorn conical flower clusters. The common name butterfly bush refers to the vibrantly colored flower spikes that attract a slew of butterflies.
In tiny, compact gardens or containers, dwarf butterfly bushes are lovely shrubs to grow. Since they aren’t invasive like bigger bushes, many gardeners prefer dwarf types of butterfly bushes. In addition, the height of a dwarf butterfly bush’s blooms is comparable to that of taller plants.
For your garden landscape, this article describes the most spectacular butterfly bushes. Pick the finest blossoms for blooming during summer and entice pollinators to your garden by looking at images of Buddleia butterfly shrubs. In addition, you’ll learn about butterfly bushes that are non-invasive.
Butterfly Bush Size
The butterfly shrub grows between 5 and 10 feet (1.5 and 3 meters) tall and broad, with medium-sized flowers that bloom between May and July. The upright, arching branches, lanceolate leaves, and long flower clusters (panicles) of Buddleja shrubs range from 4″ to 20″ (10 – 50 cm).
A multi-stemmed shrub with butterfly bush. Butterfly bush, on the other hand, may develop into a tiny tree in warmer areas. By staking the main stem and removing suckers as they develop every year, you may also cultivate a butterfly bush tree. Ultimately, the same size as its shrub variety, a blooming butterfly bush tree emerges.
Dwarf Butterfly Bush Size
A short shrub that grows between 2 and 3 feet (0.6 and 1 m) tall and broad is known as a dwarf butterfly bush. Dwarf butterfly bushes, like their larger counterparts, have arching branches and a rounded growth habit. The lovely conical flower clusters of the little bushes are a highlight.
What Is Dwarf Butterfly Bush?
A dwarf butterfly bush is a miniature equivalent of the traditional butterfly shrub. The bulk of most small butterfly bushes are seedless and, as a consequence, infertile. Dwarf butterfly bushes, on the other hand, are often non-invasive. Because of their tiny size, you can plant a variety of tiny shrubs in your garden.
Grow the dwarf butterfly bush in full sun and well-drained soil to thrive in your garden. Dwarf butterfly bushes are drought-tolerant perennials that make it simple to maintain plants in gardens.
Dwarf butterfly bushes can be used in any sized garden for a variety of purposes. Foundation plantings, shrub borders, and cottage gardens all benefit from the small sun-loving butterfly bushes. A dwarf butterfly bush in a container garden is ideal since they are small. Of course, pollinators may be attracted by planting them.
Non-Invasive Butterfly Bush Plants
North America is not home to butterfly bush shrubs. They are considerednoxious and invasive because of their masses of blooms, which produce a ton of seeds. However, where the invasive species is prohibited, non-invasive varieties of Buddleia may thrive. Butterfly bushes that are non-invasive aren’t fruitful and don’t create many seeds.
Summer lilac is a non-invasive kind of butterfly bush plant. This term helpfully distinguishes Buddleja species that are not invasive to native flora. Because butterfly bush blooms resemble lilac flowers, the name summer lilac is derived from that.
Common Varieties of Dwarf Butterfly Bush
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Dwarf butterfly bush plants are suitable for growing in any garden, with the exception of a few varieties. In a landscape, dwarf hybrids take up minimal space. Many hues of purple, white, pink, and orange are among the tiny bushes’ blooms.
Some examples of dwarf cultivars in the genus Buddleja include the following:
- Buddleia ‘Miss Molly’
- Buddleia ‘Miss Ruby’
- Buddleia Lo & Behold series
- Butterfly Bush ‘Border Beauty’
- Butterfly Bush Flutterby Petite Tutti Fruitti Pink
Planting Butterfly Bush in the Garden
Full sun and well-drained soil are ideal for butterfly bushes. The lack of flowers that are pale may be due to too much shade. Early spring or autumn are the best times to plant a dwarf butterfly bush. Before heat or frost stresses the new shrub, this gives the roots time to develop.
Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball to plant a butterfly bush. This helps with drainage by planting the shrub so that the root ball is just above the soil line. During the first season, fill in any gaps with compost and water thoroughly and frequently.
A butterfly bush does not need to be fertilized regularly. Too much foliage and too few blooms can result from excessive fertilization. In most cases, the shrub’s necessary nutrients are provided by working in organic compost.
butterfly bush bushes help butterflies throughout their lifecycle in your landscape. Native caterpillars and larvae do not feed on the leaves of Buddleja bushes, despite the fact that they attract numerous butterflies. Plant shrubs and trees such as dogwood, pipevine, black cherry, and tulip poplars to help butterflies thrive.
How to Care for Butterfly Bush
To care for a butterfly bush, grow the shrub in full sun, where it gets at least eight hours of sunlight daily. Grow Buddleja in slightly acidic, well-drained soil. The shrub is relatively drought-tolerant, so only water when the top layer of soil dries. For healthy growth, regularly prune in spring.
USDA zones 5 through 9 are home to butterfly bush. Bushy shrub is an herbaceous perennial that grows well in chilly areas. As a result, it will perish back to the soil. Mulching the root zone around the roots can help protect them.
How to Care for Dwarf Butterfly Bush
The ground can be used to grow a dwarf butterfly bush, much like bigger bushes. Use a lightweight, airy soil mix to grow a small container-sized butterfly bush. When the top layer of soil dries out, water it. Place the dwarf butterfly bush in full sun in a container.
Dwarf butterfly bushes that have been grown in pots should not be brought indoors during the winter. As a result, match your zone with a variety of tiny container bushes.
Butterfly Bush Colors
A butterfly bush’s colorful, pointed panicles are one of its appealing features. The shrub is a sea of pink, purple, blue, white, yellow, and orange flower spikes that blooms from early summer until late fall. Some butterfly bush blossom clusters may have a two-tone appearance.
Types of Dwarf Butterfly Bush (With Pictures)
Let’s explore the numerous types of butterfly bushes that may be grown in your garden landscape in more detail.
Blue Chip Dwarf Butterfly Bush (Buddleja x ‘Blue Chip’)
A little deciduous shrub with long purple blooming spikes that bloom in the summer, the blue chip butterfly bush is a tiny shrub. Lanceolate grayish-green leaves thrive on arching stems of the purple-bluish blooming dwarf shrub. ‘Blue Chip’ Buddleja is a non-invasive butterfly plant cultivar that is easy to grow as a dwarf shrub.
Containers, shrub borders, small gardens, and butterfly gardens are all perfect for the ‘Blue Chip’ butterfly bush. Deadhead spent flowers until the first frost to prolong the blooming season.
Height and spread: 1 to 2 ft. (0.3 – 0.6 m) tall and wide.
Bloom time: Mid-summer until late fall.
Color: Intense blue to light purple.
Buddleja Lo & Behold ‘Ice Chip’
The Lo & Behold dwarf types include the Ice Chip butterfly bush. Long conical clusters of fragrant little white flowers make up the shrub, which is a low-growing perennial. It has a lovely, rounded form of silvery-green leaves that create a full, dense growth of just 2 feet (0.6 meters) tall.
A vigorous grower, Buddleja ‘Ice Chip’ It’s a sterile plant, so you can put it in decorative gardens without concern that it’ll overtake the area.
Planting along pathways, informal gardens, or butterfly gardens is best done with the ‘Ice Chip’ butterfly bush. Furthermore, as foundation plantings, ground cover in full sun, or container gardens, this dwarf shrub is versatile.
Height and spread: 1.6 to 2 ft. (0.5 – 0.6 m) tall and 2.6 ft. (0.8 m) wide.
Bloom time: Summer and fall.
Color: White.
Dwarf Purple Haze Butterfly Bush (Buddleja ‘Purple Haze’)
The tiny purple flowers of the ‘Purple Haze’ butterfly bush droop down at the ends and are a dwarf sun-loving shrub. When in bloom from mid-summer to the fall, the fragrant blooms perfume summer gardens with lovely scents. The arching branches support a thick growth of dark-green lance-shaped leaves.
In sunny cottage gardens and butterfly gardens, the dwarf purple haze Buddleja thrives. Along boundaries, driveways, and front-of-house plantings, grow the bushy shrub. This dwarf butterfly bush is ideal for container growing because of its short height.
Height and spread: 2 to 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) tall and 3 – 4 ft. (1 – 1.2 m) wide.
Bloom time: Mid-summer until late fall.
Color: Purple.
Dwarf Butterfly Bush Flutterby Petite Tutti Fruitti Pink
For sunny gardens, the pink-flowering dwarf butterfly bush ‘Flutterby Miniature Tutti Fruitti Pink’ is a stunning miniature shrub. Sweetly fragrant bright fuchsia-pink conical flowers arch gracefully from the branches. From early spring until the first frost, the green lance-shaped leaves create a thicket of foliage that covers the little shrub.
A group of sterile, non-invasive bushes called the Flutterby series of butterfly bush cultivars. This butterfly bush may be placed in shrub borders, along footings, or in containers and planted in full sun. Until the frost, deadhead the flowers to keep the shrub blooming all summer.
Height and spread: 2 to 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) tall and wide.
Bloom time: Early summer until late fall.
Color: Bright magenta pink.
Pugster Dwarf Butterfly Bush
A gorgeous little shrub with full-sized flowers is the Pugster dwarf butterfly bush. The small shrub and its large flowering conical clusters bloom nonstop all summer long. The Pugster shrubs are among the most hardy of all the dwarf butterfly bush plants.
Here are two outstanding examples of dwarf Pugster butterfly bushes:
- Pugster Amethyst Butterfly Bush—Fragrant lilac-colored flower clusters growing on a stumpy, compact bush.
- Pugster Blue Butterfly Bush—Full-sized pyramid-shaped flowers in a deep blue to dark purple color.
In mass plantings, foundation plantings, or borders, landscaping ideas for these dwarf butterfly bush shrubs include. They may also be grown in pots or as ground cover.
Height and spread: 2 ft. (0.6 m) tall and 2 to 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) wide.
Bloom time: Summer until the end of fall.
Color: Deep blue or light purple.
Other Types of Butterfly Bush (With Pictures)
Let’s take a look at some of the more popular butterfly bush types. These cultivars may be up to one or two feet taller than the tiny shrub cultivars, although they aren’t on the list of dwarf butterfly bush cultivars.
Adonis Blue Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’)
In comparison to dwarf varieties, the Adonis Blue butterfly bush is somewhat taller. The deep blue, virtually purple flower clusters are 18 inches (45 cm) long and gigantic. At the end of arching branches, the showy flowers droop. Fall flowers can be found in borders, butterfly gardens, and cottage gardens.
Height and spread: 5 ft. (1.5 m) tall and wide.
Bloom time: Summer through fall.
Color: Deep blue – purple.
Black Knight Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’)
The arching panicles of dark purple blooms on the ‘Black Knight’ butterfly bush are a huge, fast-growing shrub. The flowering clusters reach up to 10 inches (25 cm) in length. Silvery undersides cover the long, lance-shaped green leaves. Shrub borders, foundation plants, and butterflies all benefit from this small, spreading shrub.
Miss Molly Butterfly Bush (Buddleja x Miss Molly)
Miss Molly is a medium-sized butterfly bush with gray-green long pointed leaves and a compact, mounding growth. It produces dark pink-red scented flower clusters. The dense leafy foliage contrasts superbly with the spectacular rich pink-reddish cone-like flowers, which bloom for a long time.
In informal cottage gardens, grow Miss Molly Buddleja to attract pollinators.
Height and spread: 4 to 5 ft. (1.2 – 1.5 m) tall and wide.
Bloom time: Mid-summer until late fall or the first frost.
Color: Rich, dark pinkish-red.
Alternate-Leaved Butterfly Bush (Buddleja alternifolia)
The alternate-leaved variety of fountain butterfly bush is a huge blooming shrub that attracts butterflies. The arching branches of the multi-stemmed shrub produce clusters of fragrant lilac-purple blooms. When the big blossoms bloom in spring and summer, they conceal the lanceolate green leaves, which are up to 18 inches (45 cm) long.
This plant may develop into a single-stem butterfly bush tree with graceful drooping branches and lovely flower clusters with care and trimming.
Height and spread: 10 to 12 ft. (3 – 3.6 m) tall and wide.
Bloom time: Spring and summer.
Color: Light purple or lilac.
Buddleja Davidii ‘Buzz Magenta Improved’ Butterfly Bush’
A little bigger than a dwarf butterfly bush, the Buzz Magenta Improved Buddleja shrub is a little fuller. It’s been three feet long since then. The graceful arching branches produce stunning magenta flower cones that range from 5 to 1.5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) in height. In among lance-shaped gray-green leaves, the drooping dark pink-red panicles droop. Foundation plantings, shrub borders, and huge pots are all good places to grow this dwarf-like shrub.
Height and spread: 3 to 5 ft. (1 – 1.5 m) tall and wide.
Bloom time: Mid-summer through fall.
Color: Intense magenta or dark red.
Nanho Purple Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii ‘Nanho Purple’)
A little, almost dwarf-sized butterfly bush is known as the Nanho Purple. The informal shrub features 10-inch (25-cm) long lanceolate green tapering leaves and large, showy conical purple fragrant flower clusters. In cold winters, the butterfly bush shrub dies back to the ground as an herbaceous perennial. In cottage gardens, sunny borders, and along sidewalks, grow the small butterfly bush to attract butterflies.
Height and spread: 3 to 5 ft. (1 – 1.5 m) tall and wide.
Bloom time: Mid-summer through fall.
Color: Purple.
Butterfly Bush ‘Border Beauty’ (Buddleja davidii ‘Border Beauty’)
With large leaves, masses of purple cone-like flowering spikes, and a short height, ‘Border Beauty’ is a deciduous shrub. The rich purple-pink blooms on red stems make the characteristic of the “Border Beauty” Buddleja. The gorgeous blooming plant features huge lanceolate foliage as well.
The huge blooms on the butterfly bush, known as the Border Beauty, rise 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) tall.
The ‘Border Beauty’ works as a stunning foundation plantings, shrub borders, pots, or along pathways, as do other dwarf butterfly bush plants.
Height and spread: 6 ft. (2 m) tall and 4 to 5 ft. (1.2 – 1.5 m) wide.
Bloom time: Summer and fall.
Color: Deep pink-purple.