Is Butterfly Bush deer resistant?
Buddleja davidii
About Butterfly Bush
Fast-growing, drought-tolerant and almost entirely ignored by deer, which is most of why it got planted so widely. It is also invasive, listed in Oregon and Washington and a nuisance well beyond them, seeding into disturbed ground from every flower head. Sterile and low-seed cultivars now exist and are worth seeking out specifically; the straight species is worth avoiding. Worth knowing what it actually does for wildlife, because the name oversells it. Butterfly bush is a nectar plant and nothing more. No native butterfly larva can eat the foliage, so a garden built around it feeds adults passing through while supporting no butterflies at all. Plant it alongside host plants rather than instead of them.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Fertility
- Low
- Spacing
- 59 to 94 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Tolerances and uses
- Drought
- High
- Salt
- Moderate
- Pollinators
- High
- Attracts birds
Similar to Butterfly Bush
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumZones 2–8Rarely damaged
- BarberryBerberis sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- BayberryMyrica pensylvanicaZones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Blue Mist ShrubCaryopteris clandonensisZones 6–9Rarely damaged
- BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensZones 5–8Rarely damaged
- BroomCytisus sp.Zones 5–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
Where Butterfly Bush grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Butterfly Bush belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Butterfly Bush
- Is Butterfly Bush deer resistant?
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Butterfly Bush grow in?
- Butterfly Bush is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Butterfly Bush grow in shade?
- No. Butterfly Bush wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Butterfly Bush get?
- Mature height is roughly 72–144 in. Growth rate is fast.
- When does Butterfly Bush bloom?
- Butterfly Bush flowers from June–September.
- Is Butterfly Bush invasive?
- Butterfly Bush is listed as invasive or restricted in OR, WA. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.