Butterfly Bush for butterflies and hummingbirds

I grew up with a butterfly bush in our backyard and so one of the first things I bought when we moved into the new house was a butterfly bush or Budleia seedling. Aldi had them on sale for around $2 and since it is a hardy shrub that requires little maintenance, the little seedling has grown into a significant shrub in our front yard after 3 years.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - purple Budleia in the front yard

I wanted to attract butterflies since they are useful in the garden and also beautiful to look at. I remember looking out the kitchen window as a child and observing the butterflies on our Budleia back home. But for the last two years I noticed that I got bonus critters with our Budleia. Hummingbirds are regular visitors to the shrub as well.

I initially thought I may be mistaken, but googling found this online reference that actually lists Budleia as a possible component of a hummingbird garden. And while I blogged about the Budleia and its use to attract butterflies before, looking outside the window this afternoon I saw the rapidly moving wings of a hummingbird near the shrub, indicating that it is now hummingbird season as well.

So really, consider adding a Budleia to your garden. They are hardy shrubs that need little maintenance, except maybe some watering in really dry summers, and they reward you with butterflies and regular visits by hummingbirds.