First Editions® Groovy Grape™ Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii 'PIIBD-I')

First Editions® Groovy Grape™ Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii 'PIIBD-I') is a deciduous shrub with a rounded to upright habit and gray-green foliage. Fragrant deep violet flowers bloom on long, upright panicles in summer, attracting bees and butterflies.

Deadheading can encourage continued flowering into fall. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil, allowing room for its mature size.

Growing details

• Plant type: Deciduous shrub
• Mature height: 8–10 feet
• Mature spread: 6–8 feet
• Spacing: Approximately 7 feet apart
• Hardiness: USDA zones 5–10
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained; avoid wet soil
• Flowers: Fragrant deep violet panicles
• Bloom season: Summer, with continued flowering possible into fall when deadheaded
• Foliage: Gray-green
• Cultivar: 'PIIBD-I', PP26,305

Care and garden use

This low-maintenance shrub tolerates a range of soils provided they drain well. Avoid wet conditions. Remove spent flower clusters to encourage further bloom. It can be rejuvenated by cutting back to approximately 1 foot above the ground.

Use as an accent or in grouped plantings, borders, wildlife gardens, rock gardens, foundation plantings, hedges, or suitably sized containers. Pair with verbena, Russian sage, or daylily where growing conditions suit each plant.

Image credit: First Editions, Groovy Grape™ Butterfly Bush. Plants naturally vary in appearance and may differ from the images shown.