Keystone Heritage Park is a non-profit 58-acre nature preserve that contains a natural wetland, an a
04/06/2025
what's blooming today? the woolly butterfly bush! Buddleja marrubiifolia, commonly known as the woolly butterflybush, is a perennial shrub which is endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert from southern Texas to San Luis Potosí in Mexico, where it grows on limestone and gypsum soils in canyons and arroyos at elevations of 600 to 2,250 m (1,970 to 7,380 ft) elevation. The species was first named and described by George Bentham in 1846.
Known for its ability to attract butterflies, the Woolly Butterfly Bush(Buddleia marrubiifolia) grows well in southern and central Arizona. Native to the Chihuahuan desert, it is very tolerant of heat, intense sunlight and drought. It grows to 5 feet tall with an equal or greater spread. Its grayish green leaves are elliptical and covered with fine white hairs giving this plant a soft, fuzzy look. From March to August the woolly butterfly bush blooms small, bright orange colored flowers. These intricate, globe-shaped flowers are no more than half an inch in diameter, yet they are extremely attractive to butterflies which find them a rich source of nectar. People who like formal landscapes might be frustrated by this plant’s informal growth habit and its inability to conform to a prescribed geometrical shape. Use it in xeric landscapes, in butterfly gardens, or around pools and other water features for its interesting color and open, airy appearance. Woolly butterfly bush can also be planted in groups as an informal hedge.
Maintenance
Plant woolly butterfly bush in full sun locations and in soil with good drainage. It does not grow well in heavy clay soils. Water established woolly butterfly bush infrequently — every two to three weeks in the spring, every week or two in the summer, and once per month in fall. Rely on natural rainfall in the winter. Woolly butterfly bush will become floppy and subject to rot if given too much water.
