Use and Care Manual

First Editions® Groovy Grape™ Butterfly Bush

Buddleia davidii 'PIIBD-I' PP26,305

Groovy Grape has a rounded to upright habit with gray-green foliage. Rich, violet-

purple flowers are fragrant, providing loads of nectar for pollinators. Showy

flowers average 8-10” long on vigorous shoots. This buddleia is sure to stand out in

containers, landscapes and as accents!

Height: 8-10’

Spread: 6-8'

Shape: Rounded to upright

Exposure: Full Sun

Foliage: Gray-green

Deciduous- foliage loss in winter and new growth in spring

Zone: 5-9

Blooms- spring through fall

1. Butterfly bush need full sun. When we say full sun, we mean it – butterfly bush

requires a minimum of 8 hours of bright sunlight. Even in warm climates, plant

them where they get no fewer than 6 hours of sun.

2. Butterfly bush need perfect drainage. Their roots are sensitive to rotting, and if

they spend any amount of time in wet soil, they can be set back or even die. Most

of the time, if you lose a butterfly bush after winter, it wasn’t due to low

temperatures or snow or ice – it was because the plant sat in cold, wet soil in fall

or spring.

3. Butterfly bush can grow in clay soil but require a few special accommodations.

Because they need good drainage and dislike cold wet conditions, there are a few

tips that will increase your success with butterfly bush if you have clay soil: o Never

amend the soil. Don’t add top soil, potting soil, compost or anything at planting

time. Plant directly into your natural soil. This is true for all shrubs, but is even

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First Editions® Groovy Grape™ Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii 'PIIBD-I' PP26,305 Groovy Grape has a rounded to upright habit with gray-green foliage. Rich, violetpurple flowers are fragrant, providing loads of nectar for pollinators. Showy flowers average 8-10” long on vigorous shoots.
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more important with butterfly bush, as amending any soil, and particularly clay soil, can cause drainage problems. o Plant “high” – instead of positioning the plant even with the ground level like you would other plants, dig a slightly shallower hole (yep, that means less work!) and position it so that the base of the plant is a bit higher than the ground. This creates a small “hill” that encourages water to drain away from the plant rather than settle around it.