The best pink butterfly trees for the garden.

Buddleja davidii 'Pink Micro Chip'

Let’s begin this selection of pink Buddlejas with an adorable dwarf specimen: the Buddleja davidii ‘Pink Micro Chip’. This variety grows to just 50 cm across, which obviously makes it ideal for small spaces: compact urban gardens, balconies, terraces or even windowsills. But it is also a very good candidate for sunny rockeries, borders or beds. You’ve got it: in pots or in the ground, this dwarf Buddleia fits in everywhere!

During almost the entire summer, almost without interruption, it produces small inflorescences about ten centimetres long. They consist of a multitude of flowers, a pretty pink leaning slightly towards mauve. They reveal a red throat. It’s the hallmark of butterfly trees: their flowering attracts a profusion of foraging insects, and ‘Pink Micro Chip’ is no exception to the rule.

The deciduous foliage bears a silvery-green hue.

Plant this little green cushion in full sun, in ordinary soil, even poor, as long as it is well-drained. Its only drawback lies in its hardiness being more limited than that of other Buddleja cultivars: it will not tolerate frosts above about -8 to -9°C on average. Cultivated in a pot, it can, however, easily be sheltered from the cold in regions where winters are harsh. Watering during prolonged drought (especially in pots) and pruning at the end of winter will simply be necessary for the maintenance of this small pink Buddleia.

The Buddleja davidii 'Butterfly Candy Little Pink'

Butterfly Candy Little Pink is another Buddleja davidii, a dwarf form with slightly larger dimensions. At maturity, it reaches about 80 cm across.

From summer to autumn, it bears numerous panicles of flowers in cone-shaped heads about 12 cm long. These inflorescences comprise numerous small flowers bearing a bright, vivid pink. Each flower has a contrasting red throat. Delicately fragrant, this flowering will delight both people and insects.

The green-grey foliage is lanceolate, with a slightly villous texture. It dies back in autumn.

Hardy, sturdy and tolerant, this Buddleja is a safe bet for brightening small and large sunny spaces. It tolerates pollution as well as occasional drought. It will, of course, suit containers as well as the garden, for example in borders alongside dwarf roses in similar tones. In a mixed border, it will pair beautifully with colourful perennials, such as Achillea (yarrow), Sedum or Rudbeckia.

The Buddleja davidii 'Pink Delight'

This robust variety rewards us with a vivid pink flowering throughout the summer. Between July and September, it produces large, dense, spike-like inflorescences, reaching nearly 25 cm in length. They bring colour and vitality to the garden. Of course, this honey-scented flowering will please bees and butterflies.

‘Pink Delight’ is a tall Buddleia, reaching 3 metres in height and 4 metres in spread.

Hardy and low-maintenance, it will look superb whether grown as a specimen or in a flowering hedge, alongside crape myrtle, Caryopteris and Cotinus. Give it a sunny position, in soil that may occasionally dry out once well established.

Buddleja davidii ‘Pink Panther’

‘Pink Panther’ is a compact butterfly bush, reaching about 1.5 metres in height with a somewhat narrower spread.

Throughout the summer, it rewards us with panicles of flowers in a true candy-pink colour, with a look as indulgent as the honey-sweet fragrance they emit. The panicles measure about 18 cm in length. This colour is uncommon among Buddleias, which makes ‘Pink Panther’ an unusual variety. To encourage flowering, we recommend pruning fading flowers as they appear. This helps stimulate the formation of new buds.

Here again, the foliage consists of lanceolate, pointed leaves, a grey-tinged green. It can persist if the winter is mild (short and light frosts).

This hardy variety will grow in sun or partial shade, in soil that can be poor and calcareous.

Due to its habit, it can be planted in a pot as well as in an informal hedge or a shrub border. A Vitex, a Mock Orange, and a Mexican orange blossom can provide it with company.

Buddleja colvilei

The Buddleja colvilei is a botanical species that stands out from its popular cousins, the David’s Buddlejas.

First of all, it is a botanical species, meaning it exists as such in the wild and is not the result of cross-breeding or hybridisation carried out by humans. Next, it differs by its flowering, which is one of the largest in the genus. Between July and September, this Buddleja produces clusters of tubular pink flowers, highlighted by a white throat. They measure about 20 cm in length and are complemented by lush dark green foliage, which can remain year-round in mild climates.

In terms of size, expect around 4 metres in total for this large Buddleja.

Hardy down to around -10 to -12°C, it will thrive in a warm, sheltered position, protected from prevailing winds, in soil fairly rich in organic matter but well-drained. It will prefer soils that stay cool in summer.

The Buddleja colvilei will pair well with a Weigela, whose flowers are very similar, but it will also be perfect as a standalone plant. Growing it in a large container, so it can be brought indoors for winter, is also feasible.

Buddleja davidii 'Butterfly Dream Pink'

This very compact butterfly bush reaches about 1.5 metres across and has a neat rounded habit.

‘Rêve de Papillon Pink’ lives up to its name, like its peers, attracting a real ballet of flying insects thanks to its flowers throughout the summer. It bears pink inflorescences that lean slightly towards the purple, impressive at 25 to 35 cm in length. This flowering stands out against deciduous foliage, green with a grey tint on the reverse.

This easy-to-grow Buddleia will make a good choice for enlivening sunny terraces and balconies, with ornamental grasses at its base. It will grow in ordinary soil, even in periods of dryness.