Buddleja

Buddlejas get a bad rap (actually all rap is bad I can’t stand that hip hop crap). Yes their habit is a bit open and except for alternifolia and hemsleyana all are die-back shrubs in the North, but they do have their charms. Most are fragrant, they flower for months, and if you like cut flowers a hedgerow will provide endless material for cutting; flowers last almost 2 weeks in water. Best of all they attract butterflies, hundreds of butterflies. On my top ten list of butterfly nectar plants 9, maybe 10 are Buddleja. Just provide some larval food plants and you have an instant butterfly garden. Below find some of the common ones as well as a few rarities for the collector