Buddleja davidii 'BORDER BEAUTY'

Buddleja is better known as butterfly bush. The reason is obvious – from early summer when it starts blooming until early autumn it produces large, scented flowers that attract winged insects, mostly butterflies. If you are not yet aware of how many butterfly species you can get in your part of the world get one buddleia and in a few weeks you can apply for a doctor’s degree in butterflies!

Border Beauty is a another butterfly bush proved by time. It was bred already in 1962, by a Dutch breeder Henry Schiphorst. It produces about 20 cm long, dense panicles of purple violet flowers with orange throat. Individual flowers are tiny trumpets, composed in conical panicles born at the tips of slightly arching branches which gain darker shade towards the panicle. Flowers are sweetly fragrant and bloom from early July until late September. Border Beauty makes an upright and compact bush about two meters wide and tall. Deciduous leaves are lanceolate, medium green, and hairy as they emerge. Deadheading of spent flowers and occasional feeding will contribute to continuous production of new flowers.

Butterfly bush requires little care. Still, we strongly recommend hard pruning every spring to low permanent framework when buds begin to swell. Plant it in full sun, in well-drained humus-rich soil. It will die in boggy soil after winter. Though hardy to -29°C (USDA zone 5) it performs better in warmer zones. We suggest buying older plants with woody framework for planting in colder areas.

Last update 10-07-2018