Fauna
Plant

Butterfly Bush

Buddleja davidii

Also known as Orange Eye, Summer Lilac

Arching stems carry dense, conical spikes of honey-scented purple blossoms that draw dozens of butterfly and bee species from midsummer through autumn. Native to central and western China, this fast-growing shrub thrives in nutrient-poor soils, quickly colonizing railway embankments, riverbeds, and urban ruins. Thousands of tiny wind-dispersed seeds allow robust populations to naturalize far beyond garden borders.

ShrubFloweringInvasive
Butterfly Bush reference1 / 7
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Mullein Moth Caterpillars
  • Two-Spotted Spider Mites
  • Aphids
ThreatsMechanical clearing, targeted herbicides, biological control beetles
HabitatsDisturbed ground, riverbanks, roadsides, urban waste ground, gardens
Life span15–30 years
Classification
  1. OrderLamiales
  2. FamilyScrophulariaceae
  3. GenusBuddleja
  4. SpeciesBuddleja davidii
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Pruning: Cut back vigorously in early spring to encourage dense new shoots and abundant summer blooms.
  • Observation: Visit on warm, sunny afternoons when adult butterflies, bees, and hoverflies actively forage on nectar.
  • Invasive Control: Deadhead spent flower spikes before seeds mature to prevent unwanted spreading into native ecosystems.
Related species
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