‘Black Knight’ Butterfly Bush

Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Perennial Shrub

Height at Maturity: 8-10′

Width at Maturity: 4-6′
Spacing: 4′ for solid hedges, 10′ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Arching, Bushy, Upright, Vase/Fountain Shape

Growth Rate: Fast to Very Fast

Flower Color: Deep Purple

Flower Size: 8-10″ long clusters

Flowering Period: June to Frost!

Flower Type: Spike

Fragrant Flowers: Yes

Foliage Color: Grey-Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: No

Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun

Water Needs: Average, low when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well-drained moist to dry

Soil pH: 5.5 – 8.5 (Acid to Moderately Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low to Average

Attracts: Visual Attention, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Insect, Rabbit

Description

A long time favorite of ours, and the hummingbirds and butterflies, Black Knight is a tall-growing Buddleia that produces elongated clusters of fragrant, deep purple (almost black) flowers from June all the way to frost. The flower clusters appear at the ends of long and arching branches on plants that grow 8 to 10 feet tall by 4 to 5 feet wide. The willow-like, grayish green leaves are a wonderful contrast and backdrop for the flowers. Great for use in perennial gardens and and outdoor living spaces where the butterflies and hummingbirds that flock to the plant can be viewed as they feast on the honey-scented flowers.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 8 to 10 foot tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, the Black Knight Butterfly Bush is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings or as a colorful hedge or background in landscape and perennial borders. A fine addition to butterfly and hummingbird gardens, purple theme gardens, Xeriscape gardens (low water needs and cottage gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 3 feet apart for solid hedges or mass plantings; 7′ or more apart for space between plants

How To Measure Total Square Feet Of A Planting Area

How Many Plants Needed To Cover A Planting Area?

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a, where this Butterfly Bush variety is not winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Knight Butterfly Bush thrives in full to mostly sun and isn’t too picky about soil type, provided the soil is well-drained. Plants are quite drought tolerant when established and deer don’t like them! Very easy to grow!

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Butterfly Bushes.

How To Plant & Care For Butterfly Bushes

Planning a Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Garden Design & Planting Tips

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us!

Beautiful—————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

This was my second order from Wilson Bros and I anticipate many more! This plant arrived in amazing shape – it was packaged well and is a good sized, very healthy plant. I expect this plant to thrive in my yard!——————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

A Very Beautiful, Thriving, (Growing Like Crazy!) Butterfly Bush! I Potted It In A Very Large Planter, Thinking It Would Be Fine For A Couple Of Years, But It Is Obviously Going To Need To Find A New Home Into The Good Earth Next Spring! I’m Very Inpressed And Happy With My Purchase And Experience! Good Folks That Know What They Are Doing! Thank You Mr. Wilson & Mr. Wilson!———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

So big and healthy rich BlackBerry hue. This is going to be Magnificent????—————————–One of my favorites! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The butterfly bush had buds 2 weeks after planting, could not believe it! It is now starting to bloom and is gorgeous!—————————–It is beautiful! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Beautiful dark purple flowers. Butterflies visited shortly after planting.———————————We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Thank you for a well rounded butterfly plant. I am enjoying. Delivery was good. Plant is what I expected.——————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My plant arrived healthy and in great condition! Absolutely love it!——————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

black knight butterfly bush…..doing great, still no butterflies yet——————————————We are glad you are pleased with your purchase! Give them time, it’s been a cool Spring here! Beth | WBG 🙂

Way bigger than I’d anticipated. Beautiful and healthy.——————–Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG

I ordered 2 butterfly bushes. They were well packaged and are already blooming. I love the color and can’t wait to see them bloom years from now! Great quality and I would purchase from this garden again!————————————Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG

I ordered quite a few plants from Wilson Bros Gardens & although my timing was probably not the best due to shipping companies being overloaded right now, I am more than happy with my plants! Everything I ordered arrived packaged with extra caution, extra wet paper to hold in moisture & very secured in their boxes. Wilson Bros has contacted me a quite a few times to make sure everything arrived ok & that I was pleased. No other company that I have ordered plants from has been this kind. Here is a pic of my beautiful black knight that I will be planting soon ? Thank you Wilson Bros!!———————–We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG

Hi Just dropping you a note to say how IMPRESSED I am about your complete online service, shipping, and quality of the Black Knight Butterfly Bush that I recently ordered and received yesterday (Friday). GREAT JOB! Extremely happy and will be back soon with another order. Thanks again, John Wilson—————————-Thanks so much for the great review!! Beth | WBG

Every day, I literally can see my two butterfly bushes respond to the sunshine – little bursts of growth – looking forward to some rapid changes in the next month or so! ——————- WBG Reply – Hi AJ – Won’t be long and you’ll be seeing some blooms, and butterflies. Black Knight is a personal favorite of mine among the large growing butterfly bushes. Not too many plants produce a flower this deep purple in color. Thanks for your review and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

The plant came quickly and was packaged very well. It was very healthy and is thriving in my yard with blooms already! ——————— WBG Reply: Hi Tierra – Thanks so much for your review of the Black Knight Butterfly Bush and the picture! Glad to hear it’s thriving well and already blooming for you. We hope you and your butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy this prolific bloomer for years to come. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can do for you. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

Excellent packaging, plant in great shape when it arrive, loves its new home and already has new growth. ———- WBG Response: Great to hear our shipping department is doing their job well and that the Black Knight Butterfly Bush is doing well in its new home. Thanks for providing your review and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens