Buddleja davidii

Description

Native to East Asia. It was brought to the U.S. in the early 1900's as an ornamental shrub.

Grows to 5-15 ft. high and wide. Leaves are gray-green above and white and fuzzy underneath. Flowers are in long, erect, nodding spikes 8-18 inches long. The seeds it produces are abundant, dust-like, and dispersed by wind. It readily invades disturbed sites and riparian areas. Butterflies can use the plant as a nectar source but cannot use it as a host plant for their larvae. Las Pilitas Nursery has information about which plants provide food for adult butterflies and their larva in California. Other links below can provide you with ecoregional planting guides to help pollinators where you are.

In California, Buddleja davidii has naturalized in coastal areas in the north, the Bay Area, and a few locations on the south coast. See the Calflora map for its current distribution outside of cultivation.

Removing spent flower clusters can prevent self-seeding, but it produces so many blooms that deadheading would be a lot of work. If you cut the plant back, do not leave the clippings on the ground, as they can easily take root and create a new plant. Do not dump any clippings along a roadside or waterway.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture in cooperation with Oregon State University developed a criteria and process to approve sterile cultivars of butterfly bush. Cultivars that produce less than 2% viable seeds are placed on an approved list.

Approved cultivars include:

• Buddleja 'Asian Moon'
• Buddleja 'Blue Chip'
• Buddleja 'Blue Chip Jr.'
• Buddleja 'Ice Chip' (Formerly 'White Icing')
• Buddleja 'Inspired Pink'
• Buddleja 'Pink Micro Chip'
• Buddleja 'Purple Haze'
• FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Blueberry Cobbler Nectar Bush
• FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Peach Cobbler Nectar Bush
• FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Sweet Marmalade Nectar Bush
• FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Tangerine Dream Nectar Bush
• FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Vanilla Nectar Bush
• FLUTTERBY PETITE™ Snow White Nectar Bush
• FLUTTERBY™ Pink Nectar Bush

These cultivars have been proven to be interspecific hybrids through testing and laboratory analysis. Their fertility has not been assessed, but interspecific hybrids generally exhibit low fertility.

• Buddleja 'Lilac Chip'
• Buddleja 'Miss Molly'
• Buddleja 'Miss Ruby'
• Buddleja 'Miss Violet'

Why is this plant not included on the invasive plant list?

Buddleja davidii was considered in 2015 but not added as a candidate plant to the survey because more research is needed about the invasive risk of the various cultivars of Buddleja davidii, and because it has only naturalized in some locations on the coast of California. The risk based on what we know is not high enough to consider adding it to PlantRight's list.

More information

For more information about this plant, please see the following resources:

• Sunset Western Garden Book 2012 edition pg. 207
• Butterfly Bush Approved Cultivars – Oregon Department of Agriculture
• Oregon Invasive Species blog – Sterile Butterfly Bush Coming This Spring
• Calflora
• Cal-IPC Plant Profile
• PRE Evaluation
• Invasive Plants Atlas of the United States
• US Forest Service
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
• Missouri Botanical Garden
• Oregon State University Extension Service
• Global Invasive Species Database
• Pollinator Partnership – for plants to help pollinators
• Plants for a California or Western Butterfly Garden – Las Pilitas Nursery
• Butterfly Habitats and Gardens – North American Butterfly Association