Butterfly bush (Buddleja 'Miss Molly')
Buddleja 'Miss Molly' is a stunning Butterfly bush offering magenta-red blooms from July to frost. Low maintenance and deer resistant.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ is a highly valued deciduous shrub known primarily for its relentless blooming performance, providing vibrant color from mid-summer straight through the first frost. This specific hybrid butterfly bush captivates pollinators, truly earning its common name while offering a semi-compact structure ideal for mixed borders. Gardeners choose Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ for its low maintenance requirements and its ability to create a spectacular focal point where consistent summer color is desired.
This cultivar thrives under intense sunlight, a crucial factor in achieving maximum flower production and maintaining a dense habit. While robust, gardeners should be mindful that poor drainage or insufficient sun exposure can lead to sparse growth and diminished flowering in this superb butterfly bush. Its adaptability, even thriving in clay soil, makes the selection of Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ a practical choice for many landscape settings.
The striking magenta-red, bottlebrush-shaped flowers not only enhance the visual appeal but also serve as a superb magnet for butterflies, supporting local ecosystems. Furthermore, this plant can be successfully utilized as a fresh-cut flower, bridging the gap between the garden and interior floral arrangements during the peak of summer.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Scrophulariaceae
- Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 5-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 4-5 ft
- Spread: 5-6 ft
- Bloom Time: July to frost
- Bloom Description: Magenta-red
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Planting Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ should occur in the spring or fall once the danger of hard frost has passed, ensuring the location receives consistent full sun exposure throughout the day. This shrub prefers average, well-drained soil, though it will adapt to clay soil provided the area is amended to improve drainage before planting. Avoid areas where water pools after rain, as this variety does poorly in wet, poorly draining conditions.
Watering needs are medium; establish a consistent routine during the first year while the root system develops. Once established, the butterfly bush is relatively drought-tolerant but appreciates supplemental watering during prolonged dry spells. Fertilization is rarely essential if the shrub is growing in suitable, average soil.
Pruning is highly beneficial for maintaining shape and maximizing bloom cycles on this butterfly bush. In USDA Zones 5 and 6, the plant often dies back to the ground and should be cut back hard in late winter annually, treating it almost like a herbaceous perennial for vigor. Even in warmer zones, cutting plants back close to the ground in late winter encourages vigorous new growth and superior flowering, ensuring your Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ looks its best. Deadheading spent flower spikes throughout the growing season will prompt the plant to produce additional flushes of magenta-red flowers.
Landscape Uses
Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ shines as a mid-border shrub, offering height and continuous color where summer interest wanes. Its dense nature makes it suitable when massed to create an informal hedge, providing a colorful screen that is irresistible to pollinators. Consider integrating this butterfly bush into cottage gardens or rose gardens where its bloom time complements many other summer perennials.
Because the flowers are showy and popular for arrangements, placing a few specimens near patios or outdoor living spaces makes them conveniently accessible as fresh cut flowers. Companion planting with other sun-loving, medium-water perennials such as Coneflower (Echinacea) or Russian Sage (Perovskia) creates a cohesive, drought-aware summer scene.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
Noteworthy Characteristics
Buddleja is a genus of about 100 species of mainly shrubs but also some trees and climbers. Commonly called butterfly bush, they are very attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. ‘Miss Molly’ is a hybrid butterfly bush known for its semi-compact habit, reaching 4-5’ tall with a 5-6’ spread. The plant produces dense, bottlebrush-shaped terminal flower spikes packed with small, magenta-red, tubular flowers from mid-summer until frost.
Tolerances
- Rabbit
- Clay Soil
Potential Problems
This particular butterfly bush variety generally exhibits low susceptibility to serious insect or disease problems, representing a low-maintenance choice. However, in the southern United States, nematodes can sometimes pose a threat to root health. Rabbits typically find the foliage unappealing. A key consideration for this plant is its potential for self-seeding; it is known to be invasive in certain international regions and specific areas within the United States and Canada. Always check local horticultural regulations and invasive plant lists before planting Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ to ensure responsible landscaping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ suitable for?
This plant is reliably hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 9.
How large does the Butterfly bush grow?
Mature Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ typically reaches a height of 4 to 5 feet with a spread between 5 and 6 feet.
When does Butterfly bush bloom?
This shrub produces its magenta-red blooms consistently from July until the first hard frost of the season.
What sun exposure does Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ need?
For optimal performance, this shrub must be sited in a location receiving full sun exposure.
Conclusion
Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ stands out as a reliable powerhouse of summer color, offering fragrance and exceptional attractiveness to vital pollinators with minimal gardener effort. This specific butterfly bush hybrid ensures your late-season garden remains vibrant with bold magenta-red tones. Before planting, confirm that your growing site aligns with the full sun requirement and check local guidelines regarding its spread potential.
Companion Planting
Selecting companions that share the full sun and medium water needs of Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ is key to a successful border design. Consider planting shorter, drought-tolerant perennials around the base of the butterfly bush to soften its structure and provide ground cover. Excellent choices include ornamental grasses like Panicum virgatum, or perennials such as Lavender (Lavandula) or Sedum varieties which bloom later in the season.
Combining the colorful spikes of the butterfly bush with silvery foliage plants provides excellent textural contrast throughout the summer months. Avoid placing this shrub in consistently damp or shady spots, as this promotes legginess and reduces the dense, floriferous habit that makes Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ so desirable.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Late winter is the most critical time for caring for your butterfly bush; prune back woody stems severely, cutting them close to the ground, especially in colder zones where winter dieback is common. Early spring is when active growth resumes; monitor for emerging shoots and ensure the plant has access to sufficient moisture as temperatures warm up. During the heat of summer, remove faded flower heads regularly to encourage continuous blooming of the magenta-red spikes.
If a heatwave occurs, ensure deep, medium watering is applied, focusing that water at the base of the plant rather than overhead. While low-maintenance, a light application of balanced fertilizer in early spring can boost vigor for the growing season. With proper pruning, your Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ will provide season-long color.
