Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' - Butterfly Bush - Buddleia x (2024)

FAQs

How tall does Lo and Behold butterfly bush get? ›

'Blue Chip' stays under three feet tall without any pruning, and blooms continuously from mid summer to frost without deadheading.

Non-invasive. Dwarf, spreading habit. Deer-resistant.

Broadleaf, deciduous, low-growing, multi-branched, compact shrub, to a height of about 2.5 ft, with a spreading habit.

Even in warm climates, plant them where they get no fewer than 6 hours of sun. Butterfly bush need perfect drainage. Their roots are sensitive to rotting, and if they spend any amount of time in wet soil, they can be set back or even die.

Typically, a butterfly bush will live about 10 years. You may find some plants that live longer than that, but it's a rare case. Proper care of a butterfly bush will help it live longer and thrive in your garden.

Butterfly bush is known for its rapid growth, up to two feet in height per year or more. It can reach its mature size in just one or two growing seasons.

Butterfly bushes grow and spread aggressively, often out-competing native plants. This can disrupt local ecosystems and decrease food and habitat availability for beneficial insects and other wildlife.

Native substitutes for Butterfly Bush

For sunny, open garden or landscape plantings, try Sweet Pepperbush, also called Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) or Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica). For wetter soils, try Buttonbush (Cephalanthis occidentalis)—a food source for moths—or New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus).

The states of Washington and Oregon have banned it along with many of the new varieties of Buddleia due to this aggressiveness and it cannot be shipped to, or sold in those states.

How long do Buddleia last? ›

Buddleia usually bloom continuously throughout late summer and fall, stopping only with the first frost. Removing spent flowers will keep the plant looking neat and encourage additional blossoms. To deadhead, cut the stem back to the first set of leaves, several inches below the flower.

Buddleia, or butterfly bush, is a fast-growing species that can overtake and crowd out native plants if not controlled effectively. Buddleia has deep roots and produces a lot of seeds, which allows it to spread and take over an area easily.

But without regular pruning, butterfly bushes can become sparse, and flowering can diminish, leaving next to nothing for pollinators. So keep pruning to keep the butterflies coming to your garden for years to come!

You need to deadhead it: Deadheading works very well when it comes to enticing new blooms on the butterfly bush. Once the blooms start to look dry and slightly withered, it starts to look a bit sad, and you can give the shrub a chance to push out another round of blooms with some thorough deadheading.

Light: Butterfly bushes grow and flower best in full sun. They will grow fine in part shade, especially in warmer climates, but their flowering may be reduced. Soil: Butterfly Bushes are not particular about the soil conditions, as long as it drains well.

Step #2: Prune above healthy new growth & remove stems

To prune your butterfly bush, make an angled cut above where you see large leaf buds or new healthy growth is emerging. Since butterfly bush blooms on new wood, the bigger the bud you're cutting back to, the more vigorous growth you can expect!

I would suggest giving it support with a trellis or something similar. Avoid pruning it now as your garden visitors will not reap its nectar benefits. Come next spring, prune it back to 12 to 24 inches. As it starts to grow again, this should help the plant stand tall on its own.

Light: Butterfly bushes grow and flower best in full sun. They will grow fine in part shade, especially in warmer climates, but their flowering may be reduced. Soil: Butterfly Bushes are not particular about the soil conditions, as long as it drains well. Poorly-drained soils can cause root rot.

Winter Flowering Lilac (Buddleia asiatica) is our tallest Buddleia. It easily grows to 15 feet and perhaps a bit more. The white flowers are smaller and less showy than the flowers of a Buddleia davidii, but their fragrance is well worth it.