When You Want a Shrub That Practically Pulls Butterflies Out of Thin Air, Buddleja Is the One That Never Disappoints.

Long Spikes Of Colour For Weeks

While some shrubs flower for a brief moment and are then done, buddleja keeps going steadily from mid‑summer into early autumn. The tapering clusters of blossom appear in succession, giving you fresh colour for many weeks. With simple dead‑heading of spent spikes, you can often prolong the show even further. This makes buddleja a reliable “doer” in the border, offering strong splashes of purple, pink, white or blue at that time of year when many earlier shrubs are starting to fade.

  • Long Spikes Of Colour For Weeks
  • Unbeatable For Butterflies In Summer
  • Tough, Fast And Surprisingly Forgiving

Buddleja at a Glance:

Common name: Butterfly bush

Latin name: Buddleja

Size in UK gardens: Typically 2–3 m tall × 2–3 m wide for standard forms; compact and dwarf varieties stay closer to 1–1.5 m and suit smaller spaces and pots.

Best position: Full sun or very light shade in a warm, open spot – ideal in a sunny border or by a patio where you can enjoy the flowers and butterflies.

Soil: Most ordinary, free‑draining garden soils, including quite poor or stony ground; dislikes sitting in heavy, waterlogged clay.

Flowering time: Long flowering season from mid‑summer into early autumn (usually July–September) with large, tapering clusters of purple, pink, white or blue flowers.

Fragrance: Many varieties have a light, honeyed fragrance, especially on warm still days when the air can seem full of blossom and butterflies.

Hardiness: Generally fully hardy across most of the UK once established; top growth may be nipped in very harsh winters but plants usually reshoot well.

Care level: Easy and forgiving – fast‑growing, happy in sun and poor soil, and responds well to a good prune each year.
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Buddleja Care at a Glance:

Planting time: Container‑grown plants can go in at most times, as long as the ground isn’t frozen or bone dry.

Watering: Keep newly planted shrubs well watered through their first growing season, especially in dry spells. Once established, buddleja is quite drought tolerant and usually only needs attention in prolonged hot, dry weather.

Feeding: In average soil, a light feed in spring with a general fertiliser or a mulch of garden compost is plenty. Over‑feeding is unnecessary and can encourage soft, sappy growth at the expense of strong stems and flowers.

Pruning: Most buddleja shrubs respond well to a hard prune in late winter or very early spring, cutting back the previous year’s growth to a low, sturdy framework. This keeps the plant compact and encourages lots of new flowering shoots.

Winter: Established plants generally need little special care in winter. In colder or exposed gardens, a mulch around the base helps protect roots, and young shrubs appreciate a bit of shelter from the worst of the wind.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Acer campestre

Acer campestre 'Elsrijk'

Acer campestre 'Queen Elizabeth'

Acer campestre 'Carnival'

Frequently Asked Questions

In typical UK conditions, standard Buddleja davidii shrubs often reach around 2–3 m tall and wide if left to their own devices. They are fast growers, which is great for filling new borders but can feel a bit much in a small space. The good news is that they respond extremely well to pruning, so you can keep them lower and bushier by cutting back hard each spring. If you prefer something naturally neater, look for compact or dwarf varieties that are bred to stay closer to 1–1.5 m and are easier to manage in smaller gardens and pots.

For the common large‑flowered types, the best time to prune is in late winter or very early spring, before new growth really gets going. Cut back the previous season’s growth to a low, sturdy framework, often 30–60 cm above the ground, removing weak, spindly and crossing stems. This encourages strong new shoots that will carry the summer’s flower spikes. You can also dead‑head spent flowers through the season to keep the shrub tidy and sometimes encourage a longer display. As a rule, don’t worry about being too timid – buddleja is surprisingly tough and usually responds well to a firm haircut.

Buddleja has a reputation for popping up in cracks and on railway embankments, and in some areas it can seed itself around if conditions suit it. In a typical garden, though, it is usually quite manageable. To reduce unwanted seedlings, simply dead‑head the flower spikes once they start to fade, before they have a chance to set seed. Any seedlings that do appear in borders or paths are easy to pull up when small. If you live near sensitive wild habitats or simply want extra peace of mind, choose modern named varieties that tend to seed around less than older, wild‑type forms.

Yes, buddleja can be grown very successfully in containers, especially the smaller and dwarf varieties designed for this purpose. Choose a good‑sized pot with drainage holes and fill it with a loam‑based, free‑draining compost. Container plants will need more regular watering in summer, as pots dry out quickly, and a feed every few weeks during the growing season to keep flowers coming. Position the pot in a sunny spot and prune annually to maintain a neat shape. In winter, move the container to a sheltered position and, if very hard frosts are forecast, consider wrapping the pot to protect the roots.