Buddleja, Butterfly Bush, Orange-eye Butterfly Bush, Summer Lilac 'Purple Emperor'

This species isn't long-lived (usually under 10 years). Hard pruning (to 6") annually in early spring helps it renew itself and improves ...Read Morebloom.

All B. davdii cultivars require weekly deadheading for them to look and bloom its best.

Butterfly bushes may be good nectar sources for adult butterflies, but they are not food sources for the caterpillars of any Lepidoptera native to the continental US.

In some places, B. davidii can be an invasive weed: England, France, New Zealand, and the states of Oregon and Washington. It has naturalized in eastern N. America but is not considered invasive there. Recent cultivars are usually selected for dramatically reduced fertility.This species has naturalized along the west coast of N. America from BC to Califolia, and also in 17 eastern states.

This is one plant that truly lives up to its name. It is to butterflies what catnip is to cats.
Keep in mind when placing it that...Read More it will get quite large and is rather ungainly.
In my zone 3b garden it survives reliably but it will die completely down to ground level every winter, however this isn't much of an issue as it grows like mad when the weather warms.
The more sun you can give it, the happier it will be, and it requires well drained soil. Mine grows in gritty soil along the south wall of a barn and is very happy there. Once the root system is well established, it shouldn't need supplemental watering beyond what the rain provides.

Bought this last April and planted it while it still looked like a stick in my hummingbird garden. A few months later it started to grow ...Read Moreleaves, and now, seven months later, is 4.5 feet tall, but has still NOT bloomed. It is planted in partial shade. I think I will try transplanting it to a sunnier spot. Suggestions?

Buddleia - English Butterfly™ Purple Emperor™ Butterfly Bush

Prolific and fragrant bloomer that will attract butterfli...Read Morees and hummingbirds! Purple Emperor™ is extra bushy and loaded with clear bright-purple flowers. It has extremely tight flower heads that are approximately 5 to 6 inches in length. The foliage is narrower, almost strap like. This is a great flowering and neatly growing shrub that is a must for your landscape.

The English Butterfly™ series are colorful Buddleia varieties that won't crowd their neighbors! These three new cultivars were developed in England, and are just now making their way across the Atlantic. Roughly a third the size of other butterfly bush varieties, these plants are extra bushy and loaded with colorful flowers. They're fragrant, and attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Unlike older varieties, these cultivars will not overwhelm the landscape, and never develop the weedy, unkempt habit so typical of Butterfly Bush. You'll love the way they look in containers and in gardens. Treat them like a perennial in the north; dies back to the ground (roots are hardy).