Buddleia Nanho Purple

Nanho PurpleButterfly Bush

uddleja davidii ‘Nanho Purple’ — commonly known as Nanho Purple Butterfly Bush — is a compact to medium-sized deciduous shrub valued for its rich purple flower panicles, refined habit, and excellent pollinator appeal. Compared with standard Buddleia cultivars, ‘Nanho Purple’ stays shorter and more controlled, making it easier to place in mixed borders while still delivering strong summer color.

Key features
Width / spread: 4–6 ft
Height: 5–7 ft (can be maintained at ~4–6 ft with annual pruning)
Flower color: Deep purple with orange eye
Bloom time: Mid-summer through fall
Foliage: Gray-green, lance-shaped leaves
Form: Upright with lightly arching branches
Life cycle: Deciduous shrub

Growing conditions
Sun: Full sun (required for best flowering and compact habit)
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
Butterfly and pollinator gardens
Back or middle of shrub borders
Specimen shrub
Informal hedges and screens
Mixed perennial plantings

Notes


More compact and refined than many traditional Buddleja



Blooms on new wood — prune hard in early spring for best flowering and size control



Strong fragrance; highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds



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

Plant type

Deciduous Shrub, Flowering Shrub

Height

3-5'

Width

3-5'

Hardiness zones

5–8

Sunlight

Full Sun

Growth rate

Fast

Bloom time

Early Fall, Late Summer

Flower color

Lavender

Attracts

Bees butterflies birds

Soil

Loamy well-drained

Landscape use

Container

Shape

Mounded

Fruit

Yes

Fragrant

Yes

Deer resistant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No