Images Depict Mature Plants
Black Knight Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'
Black Knight Butterfly Bushes are a deciduous shrub that is fragrant, fast-growing, and easy to care for. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds swarm to their deep purple blooms all summer long.
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Black Knight Butterfly Bushes for Sale Online
Black Knight Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight') is a pollinator shrub that provides loads of color from the lightly fragrant, dark purple flower spikes that almost appear as black flowers. These fragrant flower clusters bloom in mid-summer and attract butterflies and hummingbirds along with other friendly bugs and birds.
This fast-growing flowering shrub works as a foundation shrub, accent plant, or as a background in borders. It is hardier than other varieties but still may die to the ground in cold winter areas.
The Black Knight Butterfly Bush is easy to grow and care for. It prefers well-drained soil and full sun for optimal growth and blooms. After it has been established, it is low maintenance; all you have to do is sit back and admire its beauty!
| Hardiness Zone: | 5-9 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 6 to 8 Feet |
| Mature width: | 4 to 6 Feet |
| Classification: | Broad leaved deciduous shrub; re-blooming |
| Sunlight: | Full sun |
| Habit: | Mound shape, bush like |
| Foliage: | Silver-green |
| Color: | Violet purple, very floriferous |
| Pruning Season: | No pruning needed |
| Soil Condition: | Any well-drained soil |
| Water Require: | Water well until established |
How to Care for Black Knight Butterfly Bush
Be sure to read our planting instructions to ensure a healthy and happy plant for years to come!
How do I plant a Black Knight Butterfly Shrub?
We suggest when planting your newly purchased Black Knight Butterfly Bushes that you dig a hole twice as wide as the root system but not deeper. The most common cause of plant death after transplanting is planting the new plant to deep. A good rule is that you should still be able to see the soil the plant was grown in after back-filling the hole. Depending on the quality of your existing soil you may need to add a locally sourced compost or topsoil to the back-fill soil. We do not recommend using straight topsoil or compost as a back-fill soil. More times than not these products will retain entirely to much moisture and will cause the root system to rot. Adding compost or topsoil will help the young feeder roots of Black Knight Butterfly Bushes to spread through the loose, nutrient-rich soil.
How often should I water my Black Knight Butterfly Bushes?
After backfilling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the Black Knight Butterfly Bushes a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example, a one-gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three-gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day thereafter. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks.
When should I fertilize my Butterfly Bushes?
Black Knight Butterfly Bushes grow best if they are fertilized once or twice in the summer. Although some authorities recommend special fertilizer mixes to get the maximum results, Buddleias do amazingly well with a more relaxed approach. Either chemical fertilizers or organic matter can be used successfully. Since an organic method of applying manure and/or compost around the roots, produces excellent results, and also improves the condition of the soil, this would be an excellent first line of attack. Organic additions to the soil can also be combined with a shot of chemical fertilizer for maximum effect. If chemical fertilizers are used on your Black Knight Buddleia, applying a slow-release, balanced fertilizer such as Plant-tone by Espoma once a year is probably the simplest solution.
How should I mulch my Black Knight Butterfly Bushes?
We highly recommend that you mulch your Black Knight Butterfly Bushes with either a ground hardwood mulch or a ground cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they breakdown. Mulching helps to keep weeds away which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. It's better to leave a one-inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or trunk of the Black Knight Butterfly Bushes.
