Planting Butterfly Bushes

Biodiversity Theme

Planting Buddleja  (Butterfly Bushes)  

Information on Butterfly-bush

Common Name:	Butterfly-bush
Scientific Name:	Buddleja davidii
Irish Name:	Tor an fhéileacáin

We are interested in attracting Butterflies into our school garden, and so we have planted 3 Buddleja.They only require to be pruned hard in Spring.

Buddleja was named after seventeenth century English rector and botanist, Rev Adam Buddle. 

This is a perennial shrub which seems to grow just about anywhere – waste ground, embankments, even on the rooftops of old or derelict buildings and, of course, in the gardens of those wishing to encourage and admire Butterflies.  It's a loose, lanky shrub which branches from ground level.  From June to September it carries long, conical spikes of 4-lobed pinkish-mauve flowers (3-4mm across) which have a small orange 'eye' and which are heavily scented.  Its lanceolate, opposite leaves are grey-green and the arching stems are light coloured, appearing somewhat cracked.  This shrub can reach a height of 4 metres.  It is not a native but an introduction from China and it belongs to the family Buddlejaceae. 

We placed some compost in the ground to give the bushes a good start. We are hoping that lots of butterflies will visit our school garden this Summer.