How to Grow a 'Pink Delight' Butterfly Bush

Butterflies can't resist the blossoms of 'Pink Delight' butterfly bushes.

'Pink Delight' is a cultivar of butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) that has long, arching branches and produces an abundance of spiked clusters of dark pink blossoms that emit a strong, fruity aroma attractive to butterflies and bees. 'Pink Delight' grows as a deciduous shrub in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 7 to 9 and as a herbaceous perennial in the colder zones 5 and 6, where it dies down to its roots every winter. Proper placement and regular care will ensure that 'Pink Delight' grows for seasons to come.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Compost
• Mulch
• Hand-shears or loppers

Instructions

1. Plant the 'Pink Delight' butterfly bush in the spring when you can easily work the soil. Choose a location with full sun exposure and well-drained, rich soil. The spot should have enough room for the bush to grow to a mature spread of 6 to 8 feet and a height of 10 to 15 feet if you don't plan on pruning it. Even if you prune the bush, it can easily reach 5 to 7 feet in height.

2. Add several inches of compost to the planting area to increase the soil nutrients. Dig the planting hole for the butterfly bush at the same depth of the container in which it came from the garden supplier. The width of the hole should be double that of the container. Space each bush 10 feet apart, if you plant several together. Backfill the hole and then soak the area with water to settle the butterfly bush in the soil.

3. Cover the ground beneath the butterfly bush with a layer of mulch to stop weeds and hold moisture. Do not place mulch against the stem of the shrub. Each spring, add a layer of compost and then replenish the mulch.

4. Water the butterfly bush while you see active growth. 'Pink Delight' requires at least 1 inch of precipitation weekly from natural sources or supplemental watering. Stop watering during the winter.

5. Cut off any spent blooms to promote additional shoots and flowers throughout the growing season. Add an additional 6 inches of mulch to bushes planted in cold regions to protect the roots through the winter.

6. Cut the shrub to the ground at the end of every winter to promote new growth and superior flowers during the upcoming growing season. In warmer regions, partial pruning will produce larger plants with less new growth.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not fertilize the 'Pink Delight' butterfly bush.

References

• Missouri Botanical Garden: Buddleja Davidii Pink Delight
• North Carolina State University: Buddleia Davidii
• The Old Farmer's Almanac: Butterfly Bush
• West Virginia University Extension Service; Planting Trees and Shrubs; Clifford W. Collier, Jr, et al.