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Common Name: Butterfly Bush Black Knight
Latin Name: Buddleia davidii 'black knight'

Sun

Zone: 5

Height: 1.5 - 2 m
Width: 1.2 - 1. 5 m
Special Features: Deep purple blooms mid summer, drought tolerant, deer & rabbit resistant, Attracts Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Butterfly bush require a minimum of 8 hours of bright sunlight and good drainage. Their roots are sensitive to rotting, and if they spend any amount of time in wet soil, they can be set back or even die. Most of the time, if you lose a butterfly bush after winter, it wasn’t due to low temperatures or snow or ice – it was because the plant sat in cold, wet soil in fall or spring.  Butterfly bush can grow in clay soil, but require a few special accommodations.  Plant “high” – instead of positioning the plant even with the ground level like you would other plants, dig a slightly shallower hole, and position it so that the base of the plant is a bit higher than the ground. This creates a small “hill” that encourages water to drain away from the plant rather than settle around it.  Prune in spring, after the new growth emerges. Many people cut their butterfly bush back in autumn, as part of their fall clean up. But particularly in cold climates, this can leave your butterfly bush more susceptible to damage over winter. Do not prune until you see green buds on the stems. Make your cuts just above where big, healthy leaf buds have formed. It can take several weeks into spring for new growth to show up - be patient and resist the urge to cut them back too early.  Be patient. Butterfly bushes tend to be one of the later plants to leaf out in spring. Even if everything else in your landscape is turning green, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost your butterfly bush. Many people recommend waiting until mid June to be certain their butterfly bush perished. It can be very surprising to see how quickly a butterfly bush can recover.  Don’t overwater. Particularly if you have clay soil.