The butterfly plant (Buddleja davidii), commonly called a butterfly bush, is a shrub that produces flowers that are attractive to many types of butterflies. Butterfly plants are of Chinese and Japanese origin, but are now the main features of American butterfly gardens designed to lure in these showy insects.
Size
The butterfly bush can grow as high as 12 feet and can be even wider, with some possessing a spread of 10 to 15 feet. The leaves are long, with some in the 10-inch range, while the clusters of flower blossoms can grow up to 1 1/2 feet in length.
Time Frame
Butterflies begin to flock to butterfly plants in late spring when the flowers first bloom in order to drink their nectar. The plant continues to produce flowers until late fall.
Growing Conditions
While a butterfly plant will do best in well-drained soil, the plant can easily survive in dry conditions after it is established. You can trim a butterfly plant down to ground level in autumn and it will grow back in the spring, according to Floridata.com.
Features
The flowers on a butterfly plant can grow so densely that the branches will bend under their weight. The aromatic flowers come in an array of colors, with purple, white, red and pink being the most common shades.
Considerations
Landscapers typically will place larger hybrids of the butterfly plant behind shorter species that attract butterflies, such as zinnias and other similar annual flowers.
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