Birthday Cake Butterfly Bush
Buddleja ‘PODvb3-30’ Birthday Cake
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
Height at Maturity: 4-5′
Width at Maturity: 2-3′
Spacing: 2.5′ for solid hedges, 6’+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Bushy
Growth Rate: Fast
Flower Color: Purple to Purple-Pink when fully open
Flower Size: 5Small, packed in spiked panicle
Flowering Period: Late Spring or Early Summer thru Early Fall
Flower Type: Single, packed on spiked panicle
Fragrant Flowers: Yes
Foliage Color: Light to Medium Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: No
Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun
Water Needs: Average, low when established
Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sandy, Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained; moderate drought tolerance when established
Soil pH: 5.5 – 8.5 (Acid to Moderately Alkaline)
Maintenance / Care: Low to Average
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Visual Attention
Resistances: Cold Temperatures (-20F), Deer, Disease, Drought (when established), Heat, Insect, Rabbit
Description
Birthday Cake Butterfly Bush is unique in that its flower spikes stand erect on long and sturdy stems well above the foliage, reminiscent of candles on a birthday cake. The large flower spikes, packed with fragrant vibrant purple blooms that age to purple-pink, start coming in late spring and continue all the way to the first frost in fall in our gardens. The butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators will thank you for planting this season-long source of sweet nectar. At 4 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, Birthday Cake is a fine accent in smaller garden spaces and home foundation plantings, in groupings or as a natural hedge where space allows, or in containers that can be situated on sunny decks, patios or around other outdoor sitting spaces where the flowers and butterflies and hummingbirds feeding can be enjoyed from close up.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 4 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, the Birthday Cake Butterfly Bush is ideal for use as an accent in smaller garden spaces and home foundation plantings or in groupings or as a hedge in larger spaces. It also is a good performer in pots, planters and other containers of 18 inches or more rim diameter. A natural choice for butterfly and hummingbird gardens, fragrance gardens, cottage gardens and purple or pink theme gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 2.5 feet apart for solid hedges or mass plantings; 6 feet apart or more for space between plants
Growing Preferences
Birthday Cake Butterfly Bush is exceptionally easy to grow. It thrives in full to mostly sun and isn’t too picky about soil type, provided the soil is well-drained and of average fertility. At least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day is suggested for best flowering. As with so many other plants, constantly soggy or wet soils can cause problems with the roots. Spent flowers can be deadheaded by snipping them off just below the spiked cluster, which encourages quicker development of more flowers.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Butterfly Bushes.
How To Plant & Care For Butterfly Bushes
Planning a Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Garden Design & Planting Tips
Plant Long & Prosper!
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