Buddleja davidii 'BotEx 002' BUTTERFLY CANDY™ LILA SWEETHEART

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. The BUTTERFLY CANDY™ series really got me. Such an amazing range of dense, bushy, and compact plants in several attractive colours makes no excuse of not using buddleja in any garden because of lack of space. It is bred by Johannes Adrianus Maria Koot from Botanic Experience B.V., a subsidiary of a renowned Dutch nursery van Son & Koot. The plants flower all summer long and they grow to about 80 cm in height and width.

BUTTERFLY CANDY™ LILA SWEETHEART is a dwarf and compact buddleja producing soft lavender violet flowers with an orange throat. The inflorescence is conical, slim, only some 8-10 cm long, and composed of small, funnel-shaped flowers. They are moderately, sweetly fragrant and bloom from late June until late September. Deciduous leaves are lanceolate, hairy as they emerge, medium green and partly glossy above and silver on the reverse, without a significant autumn colour change. The plant makes an upright, very dense and bushy shrub. Deadheading is important to promote continuous flowering. This variety was awarded Bronze Medal at KVBC Summer Challenge 2021 and in the USA it is sold as BUTTERFLY CANDY™ Lil’ Lavender™.

Butterfly bush requires little care. Still, one thing is vital for a nice and strong plant: 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 very likely 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 04-08-2022