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Buddleia, known as butterfly bush, are an easy shrub to grow and attract lots of butterflies. Recent breeding has developed dwarf varieties that should be ideal for smaller modern gardens and some that claim to be suitable for containers and hanging baskets.
To find the best buddleias to grow, Which? Gardening magazine grew a range of dwarf varieties to see which would give us the best display of flowers and live up to their compact claims.
| January | February | March | April | May | June |
| PLANT BARE-ROOT | PLANT BARE-ROOT/PRUNE | PLANT BARE-ROOT/ PRUNE | |||
| July | August | September | October | November | December |
| FLOWERING | FLOWERING | FLOWERING | PRUNE | PLANT BARE-ROOT | PLANT BARE-ROOT |
Buddleias are relatively unfussy and will grow on rocky ground, in walls and through paving. However, your plants will be more robust and flower well if planted in fertile soil in full sun.
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Some dwarf varieties of buddleia, such as the Rocketstar series and ‘Dreaming Lavender’ are ideal for growing in containers; steer clear of the Buzz varieties which are still being sold as ‘patio buddleia’, but will grow too large for most pots. Be sure to balance the size of container with the expected size of the plant to prevent it looking top-heavy. Fill your container with a Best Buy compost for pots and add some controlled-release fertiliser at planting time.
Keep an eye on watering especially during hot dry conditions and deadhead regularly to keep the flowers coming. Refresh the compost each spring by removing the top layer and replacing it with fresh compost and some additional controlled-release feed.
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| Variety name | Overall rating | Height x spread (cm) | Flowering duration | Flowering impact | Compactness | Weather tolerance | Pest and disease tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B. alternifolia 'Unique' | Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableGet Digital access £8.99 per month, cancel at any time. Already a member? | ||||||
| 'Buzz Hot Raspberry' | |||||||
| 'Buzz Velvet' | |||||||
| 'Dreaming Purple' | |||||||
| 'Flutterby Petite Dark Pink' | |||||||
| 'Flutterby Petite Snow White' | |||||||
| 'Lo and Behold Blue Chip' | |||||||
| 'Rocketstar Flamingo' | |||||||
| 'Rocketstar Indigo' | |||||||
| 'Rocketstar Orchid' | |||||||
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OVERALL RATING The more stars the better. Rating ignores price and is based on: flowering duration 25%, flowering impact 25%, compactness 40%, weather tolerance 5% and disease resistance 5%. Figures given are from the second year of the trial. Height and spread taken at peak flowering in the second year of the trial. Eventual height and spread might be more.
We planted three plants of each variety at the Which? Gardening magazine trial garden at Capel Manor College in north London; container and hanging basket varieties had controlled-release fertiliser added to the potting compost and were positioned in a sunny spot.
We grew the plants for three years, deadheading as necessary and assessing them in the first and second years for flowering duration, how good a display they made and whether the plants had a compact habit suitable for small gardens or containers.
The container-grown plants were top-dressed with fresh compost and controlled-release fertiliser in the first and second spring. All plants were pruned in the second spring.
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For the best display of flowers, our trials showed that you should shorten all the branches to 45cm above soil level in early spring, pruning above an outward-facing bud, then cut all the branches back to 45cm again in May. Deadhead continually as the flowers fade. Pruning to prevent wind rock is useful in gardens exposed to strong winds. Cut back from a third to half of the height of the plant in late autumn.
Feed plants in the ground in spring with a potassium-rich granular fertiliser, such as rose food. Mulch to keep the moisture in, but avoid coarse woody mulches that lock up nitrogen and starve the plant. Deadhead regularly during summer to keep the flowers coming.
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Buddleia are generally trouble free. Watch out for late frosts that can damage the emerging buds; waterlogged soil over winter can cause plants to fail.
Eelworms can be a problem in damp soil. These microscopic nematodes affect the leaves and buds causing curling and yellowing. Remove and destroy all affected shoots and leaves.
Downy mildew may affect the leaves in damp summers; pick off and dispose of any affected foliage.