Article provided by Becky Garoutte, Greenhouse Production Manager, Rosehill Gardens
One of my favorite plants in the garden this time of year is my Butterfly Bush, or Buddleia. The fragrant blooms start in June 
and provide season long flower power in a wide range of colors and forms. From the old fashioned, large blooming varieties such as Black Knight, Royal Red, and White Profusion to the newer more compact varieties in the Flutterby series, and even a very low growing ground cover type, there is a perfect plant for nearly every setting. Give this easy to grow plant a sunny spot in almost any soil type and you are sure to have plenty of butterflies and hummingbirds frequenting your garden! The abundance of blooms filled with sugary nectar makes this plant a vital part of any butterfly garden. To improve the number of blooms, trim off spent blooms throughout the summer months. The woody stems can be cut back to about 8 inches after frost and new growth in the spring will generate from the crown of the plant. Some parts of the US consider Buddleia to be an invasive plant and don’t recommend planting it. While some varieties do self seed and spread, it is not normally a problem in our area. There are many cultivars available that are less aggressive, such as the Flutterby Series if you have any concern about it in your landscape. My home garden includes a nice collection of several types of both older and newer cultivars and I have never had an issue with them spreading aggressively.