Nanho Blue Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii 'Nanho Blue')

Nanho Blue Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii 'Nanho Blue') is a spreading deciduous shrub with arching branches and willowy gray-green foliage. Panicles of mauve-blue flowers bloom through summer, attracting bees and butterflies.

Flowering sometimes continues into fall. Remove spent flowers to help extend the bloom season. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil.

Growing details

• Plant type: Deciduous shrub
• Listed mature height: 3–5 feet
• Listed mature spread: 3–5 feet
• Spacing: Approximately 3.5 feet apart
• Hardiness: USDA zones 5–9
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained; avoid wet soil
• Flowers: Mauve-blue panicles
• Bloom season: Summer, sometimes continuing into fall
• Foliage: Willowy gray-green leaves
• Habit: Spreading with arching branches

Care and garden use

This low-maintenance shrub tolerates a range of soils provided they drain well. Avoid wet conditions. Growth can become sparse without full sun. Remove spent flower clusters to encourage further bloom, and prune back in late winter as needed.

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

Image credits: Gábor Wiandt, Buddleja Nanho Blue; Матвеенко Андрей, Цветок ботанического сада 02, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ptelea, Buddleja davidii 'Nanho Blue', CC BY-SA 3.0. Plants naturally vary in appearance and may differ from the images shown.