The butterfly bush is quite aptly named as this profusely growing plant will attract many species of butterflies to your yard. This plant is of the genus Buddleja and consists of about a hundred species that are shrub like (actually, a few of the species of trees). Most of them grow to about 5 m tall however some of the species can reach 30 m.

The flowers are in long cone-like clumps and can range from about 10 to 50 cm long. It comes in a range of colors including purple, pink, white, orange and yellow. These plants can be strongly scented as they are heavy with nectar which is what attracts the butterflies.

If you plant a butterfly bush in your garden, you want to be careful about where you plant it because they can grow profusely and they will also most likely be very tall. You want to make sure it's towards the back of the garden or will overpower all your other plants. If you live in colder climates, the plant will turn brown in the fall and you can cut it back down - it will spring back in the spring growing just as tall again during the summer months.

The most popular cultivated species is from China and is called Buddleja davidii. Some of these plants can self sew and grow into a dense thicket in wild areas where you may not think they would be. This can be very invasive species and are often spotted beside railway line.

You should plant a butterfly bush in full sun with well-drained soil. They are fairly hearty to drought. You will find that your bush not only attracts many different species of butterflies, but also a lot of bees and hummingbirds too!