Buddleia daviidii 'Adonis Blue'

Adonis Blue Butterfly Bush

Buddleja davidii ‘Adonis Blue’ — commonly known as Adonis Blue Butterfly Bush — is a vigorous deciduous shrub prized for its clear blue to blue-violet flower panicles and strong fragrance. Blooming from mid-summer through fall, it delivers reliable color and exceptional pollinator activity in larger garden spaces.

Key features
Width / spread: 6–8 ft (arching branches can read wider at maturity)
Height: 8–10 ft (can be maintained at 6–8 ft with annual pruning)
Flower color: Clear blue to blue-violet with orange eye
Bloom time: Mid-summer through fall
Foliage: Gray-green, lance-shaped leaves
Form: Upright, arching shrub
Life cycle: Deciduous shrub

Growing conditions
Sun: Full sun (required for best flowering and color)
Soil: Well-drained; average to lean soils preferred
Water: Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
Hardiness:



Zone Low: 5b



Zone High: 9a



Landscape use
Specimen shrub
Back of shrub borders and perennial gardens
Butterfly and pollinator gardens
Informal hedges and screens
Large landscape plantings

Notes


Produces long, showy blue panicles with strong fragrance



Blooms on new wood — prune hard in early spring to control size and increase flowering



Highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds



Fertile cultivar — may self-seed; restricted or discouraged in some regions

Plant type

Flowering Shrub

Height

5'

Width

5'

Hardiness zones

5–9

Sunlight

Full Sun

Growth rate

Fast

Bloom time

Early Fall, Fall, Late Summer, Summer

Flower color

Dark Blue

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Green

Attracts

Butterflies

Soil

Clay, Loamy well-drained

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Foundation, Mass Planting

Shape

Mounded

Bark

Exfoliating

Fruit

Yes

Fragrant

Yes

Deer resistant

Yes

Salt tolerant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No