Botanical Name: Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'
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Common Name: Black Knight Butterfly Bush  
Plant photo of: Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12'

 

Flower Color

Purple, Violet

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Grey Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer

 

Location Uses

Background, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, Raised Planter, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Hedge, Screen, Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Hummingbirds, Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:

  • Description

  • Notes

Black Knight Butterfly bush is a fast growing deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub ranging from 6 to 10 feet. It has an open, irregular habit that makes it well suited to lass formal landscapes. The leaves are a dull green on top with silvery undersides, and generally long and narrowish. Clusters of small, fragrant flowers are borne in June and July in upright panicles, similar to a lilac, and are a dark purple with a yellow eye. Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees; deerr resistant.
Buddleia flower on new wood, so a hard pruning in late winter to early spring will encourage alot of branches and alot of flowers. Buddleia sometimes die-back in our colder winters, so prune hard to remove dead wood. If you want to try to keep your buddleia taller, when you prune, cut off the outward, arching branches, leaving the taller, central limbs in place. Attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; resistent to deer. Grow in full sun to part shade, but best flowering occurs with full sun. Grow in well-drained soil; adaptive to soil types, from poor, dry soils to sandy-loam and clay-loam soils. A great cut flower.