Buddleia 'Blue Knight' PP28178

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MONARCH® Collection

Common Name: Butterfly Bush, Summer Lilac

The newest addition to the popular MONARCH® Butterfly Bush collection! ‘Blue Knight’ forms a dense clump of minty green leaves. Incredibly long, 10-12”, outward-facing flower panicles open light lavender purple and deepen to blue-purple with age. The new and the aged flowers appear on the panicles at the same time, giving the flower an interesting two-tone effect. This plant has incredible flower coverage, giving you quite the performance when it starts its first flush of blooms in late summer.

Butterfly Bushes have certainly earned their place in the garden over the years, and its easy to see why. Just when we need a breath of fresh air in the late summer heat, they happily burst into bloom. At a time when many other plants are already spent, buddleias are just beginning their show. Their passive coloring and texture makes a wonderful backdrop for perennials, and you'll love the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds that flock to their honey-scented blossoms.

The MONARCH® trademark is owned by Walters Gardens, Inc.

Height:

3.5-4.0 Feet

Spread:

6.0-6.5 Feet

Hardiness Zones:

5,6,7,8,9,10

Flower Color:

Blue shades

Foliage Color:

Green shades

Sunlight:

Full Sun (> 6 hrs. Direct Sun)

Water Requirements:

Low Water Needs Average Water Needs

Soil Quality:

Average Soil Quality Fertile Soil Quality

Soil Chemistry:

Neutral Soil (pH = 7.0) Alkaline Soil (pH > 7.0)

Bloomtime:

Late Summer Early Fall Long Blooming

Attracts Wings:

Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds

Critter Resistant:

Deer Resistant

Growth Rate:

Rapid

Garden Style:

Asian Eclectic

Other Features:

Border Plant Drought Tolerant Fragrant Flowers Specimen Focal Point

Origin:

Not Native to North America

Buddleias should be planted in a full sun location with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Studies have shown that adding lime to the soil will result in increased growth and better floral quality. They are also moderately drought tolerant once established.

Since they frequently die all the way back to the ground in northern winters, it is best to cut back all of the old wood to about 12" in the spring. Doing so will result in more compact plants. They will quickly grow back to their normal height by fall and will flower just as prolifically in late summer since they bloom on new wood. You may notice that the flowers tend to be longer and deeper colored in cooler weather.

Buddleias tend to break dormancy late in the spring, so don't worry if you don't see anything happening with them when your other shrubs start to leaf-out. These are very durable and reliable plants.

Characteristics