The Butterfly bush is a perennial plant which is a shrub. It is also known as Buddleja davidii. Buddleia is the Latin term for butterfly. As the name suggests the butterfly bush not only attract but is like a magnet for all the butterflies that pass through the garden in search of nectar. Many special species and varieties of butterflies like the Western Tiger Swallowtails, Red Admirals, Tortoiseshells and Fritillaries can be seen in a garden that have the butterfly bush plant.  The red variety of the butterfly bush attracts a lot of humming birds. The Butterfly bush is also known as the summer lilac and it can be used beautifully to form a hedge or a perennial bed. In the 1700s the butterfly bush was brought to England. It belongs to China where it is known by the name summer lilac. The butterfly bush comes in different varieties and its blooming season starts from midsummer and lasts up to September. During the blooming period the butterfly bushes are covered with flowers in shades of maroon, pink, white, red, yellow, purple and blue.

The soil that is required for growing Butterfly bush needs to be well drained and fertile. The butterfly bush is a hardy plant and as it can tolerate drought as well as survive in some very tough conditions. The butterfly bush has wide arched branches and can grow from 5 – 10 feet in height. When planting the butterfly bush spacing of about 6 feet is required to be kept. In order to grow the butterfly bush requires full sun but it can also grow in areas that have light shade. The butterfly bush is best suited for beds & borders and hedges apart from garden specially designed for humming birds and butterflies. In order to grow a new bush seeds can be used, but the seeds need to be pre-chilled for about a month before it is sown. The seeds need to be pressed lightly into the soil as they need light in order to germinate. In order for the seeds to germinate a minimum period of 90 days is required. The other way to propagate the butterfly bush is by cutting or layering the stems.

There are many different varieties of the butterfly bush or the Buddleia davidii plant and each of them have their own different characteristic features which may vary from one to the other. The size of a mature plant also depends on the growing conditions of the plant.

The butterfly bush can grow as tall as 6′-12′ in height and spread 4’-15′ in width. The flowers that bloom on the plants can be pink, white, purple or red, and they generally have an orange “throat” in the middle. The blooming season of the Butterfly bush plants is throughout the summer. The leaves of the butterfly bush plant are lance-shaped and grayish.-green in color but they bear long flower spikes which has cluster of flowers. In order for it to attract mass attention the butterfly bush plant should be planted in large numbers. Growing the butterfly bush plant is not difficult that is the reason it is very popular. It is usually free from different sorts of pests except the spider mite infestations In order for it to grow well  a few deep watering during the summers  and a light application of fertilizers in spring is required.