Butterfly Bush

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.