September blooms: Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)

September blooms couldn't be easier:



Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) zones 5-9

Most of you are familiar with this butterfly beacon. It comes in many colors, grows 5 to 10 feet tall, and reseeds itself when happily situated. If you deadhead the past blooms, the buddleia will continue to provide color for your garden and nectar to your butterflies through the fall!

Buddleia is a deer resistant, full sun staple. Because so many people have them, we get lots of questions regarding when and how and how much to cut the shrubs back.

You basically have three options: You can leave it be in the fall and cut it back in the spring as leaves emerge. At that point, trim back the parts that don't leaf-out.

Or you can cut the shrub in half during your fall clean-up, but most likely you will still need to trim it up a bit again in the spring as it leafs-out.

Or you can completely neglect your butterfly bush, leaving the buddleia alone for years at a time until at some point it looks like it needs attention. (They are pretty and pretty easy, which is why they are so popular!)