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James H. Schutte
Loganiaceae
BUDDLEJA davidii 'Orchid Beauty'
Orange-eye Butterflybush, Orchid Beauty Butterflybush
Grown for its elongated clusters of rich lavender-pink flowers, the compact butterflybush ‘Orchid Beauty’ is a tough shrub with an short rounded habit.
Asian in origin, it has dark gray-green leaves that are very silver-white when they first emerge. From summer to fall it produces clusters of numerous tiny tubular lavender-pink flowers with orange eyes. These are sweetly fragrant and appear at the ends of the branches. They will continue to bloom with greater regularity if spent flowers are removed. In climates with mild winters plants may be semi-evergreen.
Butterflybush grows best in full sun and can tolerate a wide range of well-drained soils. Once established, it is quite drought tolerant and requires little maintenance aside from regular pruning. Severe hard pruning each year will keep overall size more compact.
This is the best shrub for attracting clouds of butterflies. The only setback to planting any Buddleja davidii is its tendency to self-sow in the garden and beyond. In fact, in many regions this is considered an invasive species.
Enjoy butterflybush in sunny mixed borders and foundation plantings. Dwarf cultivars like 'Orchid Beauty' are also amenable to container culture. It is not wise to plant these shrubs near open natural areas where they can easily escape into the wild.
9 - 2
6 - 9
H1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Shrub
Full Sun, Partial Sun
3'-4' / 0.9m - 1.2m
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
China, Japan
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Pollution, Drought, Salt, Soil Compaction
Fast
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Clump-Forming
Spring, Summer, Fall
Showy
Pink, Lavender
Brown
Gray Green, Dark Green, Silver
Gray Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green, Yellow Green
Green, Brown, Sandy Brown, Gray
Yes
No
Single
Medium
Matte
Semi-Evergreen
Exfoliating
Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Sometimes
Butterflies
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