Growing Buddleia

 One of my favorite woody perennials - buddleia. They are not fully hardy here in zone 4, but I have had the same plants for 5 years and hopefully this year too. The above and below pic are not mine, but the bottom 2 single stem pics are.

 Buddleia is also called the 'Summer Lilac' or the  'Butterfly Bush,' (not to be confused with Asclepias that is also called the butterfly weed.)  Blossoms start popping out mid summer and continue into fall. They are butterfly magnets - for real! Vanilla scented flowers are gorgeous in bouquets. Using them as cut flowers can be tricky. Some flowers are picky about the stage of development you cut them at and the time of day. These are my pickiest! Chose panicles that are mature, opened all the way to the end. If the end is not open, that part will droop - but you can snip off the end and know one will know. And sometimes the older flowers opposite the tip end of the panicle are starting to brown up before the tip is fully open - just pick them off.  Always cut in the early morning and plunge stems into water immediately. Some flowers do not stand well when cut in the heat of the day and these are a prime example. Others like Achillea, look best when cut in the heat of the day and fully dried off.

 Even if you do it all correct, sometimes buddleia will droop quickly and can take 24 hours in water - not in the sun,  to perk back up. One of the variables can be how hydrated the plant is - overall plant moisture.The foliage will never stand nicely, so I always strip off the leaves before using - real easily to do.  So if picking for something special, practice ahead of time, and pick your flowers a day ahead - they should last 4-7 days in a vase when handled properly. Usually I don't mess with picky flowers that require extra attention.......but these are so worth it.

The panicles are 6-12" long, and more narrow than a traditional lilac. Buddeias come in pinks, blueish purple, purple, reddish purple and white. I started mine from seed 5-6 yrs. ago. Starting perennials from seed is much more challenging than growing annual plants from seeds.
Every fall I mow with a brush cutter or prune them to the ground, and they quickly re-grow to 3-6 feet in one season, yes - it's true! Like I said, they are not fully hardy, but worth a try. Locate your plant(s) in a southwest protected area of your yard for the best survival chances and pile on winter mulch the first year for sure in late November. Always using winter mulch will help, but my poor plants are left to fend for themselves in an open field. I have noticed a little decline in vigor and number of stems in my 100 foot row over the last 2 years, time to start some new ones.