Buddleia davidii Dapper® Lavender ‘Buddaplav’
Overview
Uses: Pollinator gardens, mixed borders, outdoor containers, and foundation plantings.
Benefits: A compact butterfly bush with fragrant lavender flower spikes from early summer into fall. New blooms cover the spent ones, so it needs less deadheading, and the sturdy, non-brittle branches keep a neat, rounded shape.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Sun: Full Sun
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded, Mounding — compact and dense.
Bloom Color: Lavender
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Mature Height: 3–4 feet
Mature Width: 3–4 feet
Bloom Season: Early summer to fall
Growth Rate: Fast
Summary
Months of fragrant lavender flowers on a butterfly bush that stays a manageable size.
Classic butterfly bushes can reach eight feet or more in a single season and often flop open by late summer. Dapper® Lavender keeps everything people love about them in a much smaller package. It forms a dense, rounded shrub about three to four feet tall and wide, with sturdy branches that hold their shape instead of splitting or sprawling.
Soft lavender flower spikes start in early summer and keep coming into fall. New blooms form above the faded ones, so the plant looks fresh with far less deadheading than older types. The flowers carry a sweet, honey-like scent, and on a warm afternoon they are busy with butterflies, bees, and the occasional hummingbird.
Its size makes it easy to fit into a foundation bed, the middle of a sunny border, or a large container on a deck. It thrives in heat and full sun, and once established it handles dry spells well.
Care
Dapper® Lavender Butterfly Bush Care
Plant in full sun. At least six hours of direct sun gives the most flowers and the sturdiest growth.
Butterfly bush needs well-drained soil and does best in average or even lean ground. Heavy, wet soil, especially in winter, is the main thing that sets it back, so avoid low spots and amend dense clay or plant on a slight rise.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season. Established plants tolerate dry spells and usually need water only during extended drought.
Feeding needs are light. A single application of a slow release fertilizer in spring is plenty; heavy feeding produces soft, leggy growth with fewer flowers.
Butterfly bush blooms on new wood. In early spring, once you see new growth emerging near the base, cut the stems back to about 12 to 18 inches. In the colder part of its range, some stems may die back over winter, so wait until spring to judge what is alive before pruning. Removing faded spikes during summer is optional but encourages even more bloom.
Growing in Containers
Its compact habit suits a large patio container. Use a pot with good drainage and a gritty, quality potting mix. Container plants dry out faster than plants in the ground, so check moisture often in hot weather, and feed lightly in spring, since frequent watering washes nutrients out of the mix. Roots in containers experience greater cold exposure than roots in the ground. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Dapper® Lavender Butterfly Bush for Sale Online?
Our Dapper® Lavender Butterfly Bush ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive as bare stems with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Dapper® Lavender Butterfly Bush Grow?
Expect about 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide at maturity, in a dense, rounded shape. Space plants about 3 feet apart for a continuous planting.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
It is most often called butterfly bush, and is sometimes known as summer lilac.
How is it different from a standard butterfly bush?
Size and structure are the main differences. Standard butterfly bushes often grow 6 to 10 feet tall and can split open under the weight of their flowers. Dapper® Lavender stays around 3 to 4 feet with strong, flexible branches, and its new blooms cover the old ones, so it needs less deadheading to look tidy. Explore more compact and full-size options in our Butterfly Bushes.
Is it deer resistant?
Butterfly bush is one of the shrubs deer usually leave alone, which makes it a good choice for sunny beds where browsing is a problem. No plant is completely deer proof, but this one is rarely bothered. See more Deer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens.
How well does it handle heat and drought?
Very well once established. Butterfly bush is at home in hot, sunny sites and lean soil, and it keeps flowering through summer heat that slows many other shrubs. Water regularly through the first season so the roots can settle in. For more plants that cope with dry conditions, browse our Drought-Tolerant Plants.
