Shrub · North Texas care guide
Buddleja davidii
Nursery Pro tip: Cut it to a foot tall in late February and it comes back bigger every year. Blooms on new wood June to frost; butterflies find it in a day.
Long arching flower spikes in purple, blue, pink or white from June to frost, and it draws butterflies exactly as advertised. 5–8 ft for the older types; newer 'Pugster' and 'Lo & Behold' selections stay 2–3 ft and are sterile, which matters in some states.
Full sun and excellent drainage — the two non-negotiables. Any soil, including poor. It dislikes rich, wet beds. Space 4 ft apart.
Spring so it establishes through the warm season. Plant high in clay, ball an inch or two above grade, native soil with shale, Root Stimulator, light mulch off the crown.
Weekly the first summer, then every couple of weeks. Overwatering kills it.
None to very light. Fertilizer gives lush growth and fewer flowers.
Cut it back hard — to 12–18 in — in late February; it blooms on new wood, so hard pruning means more flowers. Deadhead the spent spikes through summer and it will keep going until frost.
Root rot in wet clay. It leafs out late in spring — give it until May before deciding it's dead. Spider mites in a dry August.
Pollinator gardens with lantana, coneflower, salvia, Gulf muhly and vitex.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.