Plant Min Zone: 5b
Plant Max Zone: 9a
Sunlight: All Day Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun
Water / Rainfall: Low, Average
Soil Quality: Average, Rich
Bloom Season: Summer, Late Summer, Fall
Flower Color: Purple
Berry / Fruit Color: Insignificant
Spring Foliage Color: Mint Green
Summer Foliage Color: Mint Green
Fall Foliage Color: Mint Green, Yellow
Evergreen Foliage: No
Winter Interest: Some
Scented Flowers: Yes
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Wet-Feet Tolerance: Low
Humidity Tolerance: Medium
Wind Tolerance: Medium
Poor Soil Tolerance: Clay Soils, Rocky Soils, Alkaline Soils (high PH), Acidic Soil (low PH)
Height: 4' - 6'
Width: 4' - 6'
Growth Rate: Medium, Fast
Service Life: Medium: 3-5 years
Maintenance Need: Low
Spreading Potential: Low
Yearly Trimming Tips: Shrub Normally Winter-kills so trim to 6-12" off Ground in Winter or Early Spring: Blooms on New Wood.
Plant Grouping Size: Specimen Planting of 1-3, Small Grouping of 3-5, Medium Grouping of 5-10
Best Side of House: South Exposure, West Exposure, East Exposure
Extreme Planting Locations: Resistant to Rabbits
Ornamental Features: Multiple Seasons of Interest, Long Blooming Season
Special Landscape Uses: None
Possible Pest Problems: Spider Mites, Beetles, Root Rot Disease
Plant Limitations: May get Occasional Winter-kill, Needs Thick Winter Mulch
Butterfly Bush are workhorses in the pollinator garden. Flower panicles come in a variety of colors mostly including shades of lavender, magenta, violet, pink, and white. Most buddleia, (Butterfly Bush) bloom on new wood so trimming off winter kill or complete rejuvenation will not affect flowering. In fact, flowering is often bigger and bolder from new water sprout growth when trimmed to the ground each year. Most Butterfly Bushes in zone 6 are maintained this way. Foliage is typically an attractive greenish-gray to mint green and persists into the fall until hard freezes occur. Use in the landscape in small or large groupings for its amazing flower power! Plants grow best in full sun with medium to dry soils. Drought tolerance is high with established plants so extra watering is rarely needed in our East Kansas climate with 40 inches of rain per year. Obviously, Butterfly Bush attracts lots of butterflies. There has been some debate in recent years on whether to plant Butterfly Bush because it's a non-native plant. Being a native of China, it has no pest or disease problems here. It is invasive in some parts of the country but cold Kansas winters keep it and check and without any self-seeding problems here. If you are still worried about it, there are several sterile varieties to choose from. There have been many drastically improved cultivars in the last 10 years aiming to improve cold hardiness, bloom size, eliminate seeding, and improve growth habits. Buddleia 'Blue Knight' was developed by Walters Gardens, Inc. It is a new addition to the popular MONARCH® Butterfly Bush collection! 'Blue Knight' forms a dense clump of minty green leaves. Incredibly long, 10-12", outward-facing flower panicles open light lavender purple and deepen to blue-purple with age. The new and the aged flowers appear on the panicles at the same time, giving the flower an interesting two-tone effect. This plant has incredible flower coverage, giving you quite the performance when it starts its first flush of blooms in late summer. In Eastern Kansas, 'Blue Knight' has performs WELL for over 3 years with just about everything nature has to challenge it! Combine with caryopteris and crapemyrtle to create a late season "all you can eat" buffet for pollinators! The MONARCH® trademark is owned by Walters Gardens, Inc.