While butterfly bushes don’t need much water and bloom beautiful flowers, they have a bad side too. In many places in North America, some species of butterfly bushes (Buddleia) are invasive. They can sprout almost anywhere—including on buildings and pavement—and don’t have native adversaries to keep them in check.
There are some Buddleia species that are safe to plant, and others that are invasive and can grow over your yard, sidewalk, and driveway. Here’s how to tell the difference, and why you should follow the warnings.
The real harm of invasive butterfly bushes
The most commonly-banned invasive type of butterfly bush is the Buddleia davidii, which has been declared invasive on most of the east and west coasts of the US, as well as England and New Zealand. The species seeds are spread by wind, and once they start to spread, they can be very hard to control. The tenacious bush will also re-sprout and form new plants if you cut it off at the base. In some places, the fast-spreading bush has been known to even damage public infrastructure like train tracks.
Butterfly bushes that are safe to plant
There are some species of Buddleia that have been bred for infertility, making them unable to produce viable seeds. These varieties are safe to plant, which is great because they attract butterflies and other pollinators, plus they’ll bloom for all or most of the summer, depending on the variety. Seedless butterfly bush varieties include:
Some native butterfly bushes can be safe to plant
There are a few varieties of butterfly bushes that are native to North America and safe to plant in some places, keeping in mind the size and spread of a full-grown plant. These include Orange Woolly and Utah butterfly bushes. These are generally native to places in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and California. If you’re unsure about a particular type of butterfly bush, it’s a good idea to check in with your state or local university gardening extension to make sure you aren’t about to populate the whole neighborhood.
Consider other butterfly-friendly plants
While butterfly bushes do attract butterflies, other plants can help, too. If your aim is to create a butterfly garden, you should also have some native milkweed, hollyhocks, or wild violet, as well as shelter plants like spice weed and wisteria. There are plenty more native plants per region that you can find on the National Wildlife Federation website. If having a butterfly bush is just too controversial for you, there are plenty of other flowering shrubs to choose from that won’t bring a debate about invasive species to your doorstep.
What to do if you find an invasive butterfly bush
If you do find an invasive butterfly bush in your yard, you can keep it from spreading by aggressively deadheading the flowers before they go to seed. Cutting off the blooms before they dry out will prevent seeds from forming and spreading.
If you want to remove a butterfly bush, you need to dig deep and wide around the root-ball and remove the whole thing (or as much of it as possible) to avoid re-sprouting. If you live in a place that has declared butterfly bush invasive, you can contact your state or local university extension to find out the best way to deal with it.
