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The information on this page is for reference only. This variety is no longer available from Proven Winners®.

Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' Butterfly Bush Buddleia x

Exposure
  • Sun
Flower Season
  • Summer
Mature Size
2'6" 2'6"
Height: 2' - 2'6"
Spread: 2' - 2'6"
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  • Details

    Features

    This variety is no longer available from Proven Winners®. Alternatives include: Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip Jr.' and Pugster Blue®

    This miniature butterfly bush has all the appeal in a smaller package! Flowers from mid summer to frost. Pruning generally not needed, but may be trimmed in spring. Fragrant flowers. Deer resistant. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

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    Fragrant Flower
    Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer
    Long Blooming
    Heat Tolerant
    Deadheading Not Necessary
    Drought Tolerant
    Attracts: 
    Butterflies
    Hummingbirds
    Resists: 
    Deer
    Small or Miniature

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Shrub
    Shrub Type: 
    Deciduous
    Height Category: 
    Medium
    Garden Height: 
    24 - 30 Inches
    Spacing: 
    24 - 48 Inches
    Spread: 
    24 - 30 Inches
    Flower Colors: 
    Blue
    Flower Colors: 
    Purple
    Flower Shade: 
    Blue-Purple
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    Dark Green
    Habit: 
    Mounded
    Container Role: 
    Filler

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Blooms On: 
    New Wood
    Bloom Time: 
    Early Summer
    Bloom Time: 
    Mid Summer
    Bloom Time: 
    Late Summer
    Hardiness Zones: 
    5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Needs Good Drainage
    Uses: 
    Container
    Uses: 
    Groundcover
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses Notes: 

    It's great for perennial gardens and container gardens. 'Blue Chip' also makes a fantastic mass planting.

    Maintenance Notes: 

    Get all the details you need to grow butterfly bush like an expert in our Ultimate Guide to Butterfly Bush.

    This little butterfly bush really is a charmer! 

    It has all the fragrance and butterfly appeal of traditional varieties in a small, easy to maintain package. 'Blue Chip' stays under three feet tall without any pruning, and blooms continuously from mid summer to frost without deadheading. It is frost tolerant, non-invasive and very easy to grow. 

    Cold, wet winters can be really hard on buddleia, so here are a few tips to help your buddleia thrive in your garden:

    1. Make sure the soil is well-drained. That place where the plow truck dumps snow in the winter? Not a good idea.

    2. Full sun. That's at least 6 hours. No cheating.

    3. Plant early in the season. This gives the plants all summer and fall to establish. Fall planting can be chancy in northern regions.

    4. Wait until it leafs out in spring before pruning. In some years you may have to prune it back to the ground. After milder winters, maybe not so much. Avoid fall pruning.

    Fun Facts: 

    This non-invasive variety is approved for sale in Oregon and Washington, though it will be called a "summer lilac" instead of a "butterfly bush."

    Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' Buddleia x USPP 19,991, Can 3,602
  • 68 Reviews

    5
    27
    4
    14
    3
    5
    2
    3
    1
    19
    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • Planted 6 in one bed and 6 in another bed. Some lasted one year, but eventually all died. Even when first planted, the branches were more noticeable than the flowers. Also I noticed none of the low scoring reviews are published which is a shame considering reviews are part of how your plants come to the public in the first place.

      Marianne Henry
      , Ohio
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • One of my favorite plants. Beautiful and care free except for cutting back each year after leaves begin to emerge at the base of the plant. This may not happen until some time in June--long after other plants are growing and blooming. However, the wait is well worth it, as the plant then blooms profusely until frost--without requiring any deadheading.

      Dale Cheek
      , Kentucky
      , United States
      , 3 years ago
    • The plant is growing beautifully, but is getting so big it’s starting to fall apart from it’s round shape. Should I cut it back, it also has a lot of dead heads right now?

      Alice Schuster
      , South Carolina
      , United States
      , 3 years ago
    • Zone 5a here. Has come up for the past 3 years I had it. It is very slow to get started in the spring like most butterfly bushes. That said I planted Miss Molly last fall and it was pretty robust and shown its face pretty quickly this spring for a butterfly bush. I have higher hopes for that one. Anyway.... Blue Chip did not come back up this year. Almost June now, it would of been up by now. Darn. I hear the Purple Haze is a bit hardier. Gonna try that one next.

      Tiffany Marshall
      , Wisconsin
      , United States
      , 6 years ago
    • I planted this summer 2015, after my hubby trampled it and it was buried in snow this past winter, I didn't expect it to survive. This spring I see some green shoots off the base so it looks like it survived making it one tough plant. I can't wait to see how it grows this summer and what it does next year

      Jennifer Winship
      , British Columbia
      , Canada
      , 7 years ago
    • Absolutely love this shrub. I have five planted with my daylilies and coneflowers. What a nonstop show, that will continue all of the way into October. The fragrance is wonderful. Am also seeing all kinds of butterflies. I do trim back back in the Spring when I see signs of growth.

      Cindy
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 10 years ago
    • It performs really well but it is much taller than advertised thus causing me problems where I placed it. Mine are 37-38" tall, not 24-30".

      L. LaLonde
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 11 years ago
    • , 11 years ago
    • Compact but has a big presence - a little beauty!

      plymouth sus
      , 11 years ago
    • I purchased two of these amazing and delightful little babies! They are absolutely great! Grew (the first year) to their full capacity (30X30X30high); are beautiful plants (I received so many compliments); I had absolutely No problems with them-they are carefree; and I, the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds loved them. I would recommend this plant to everyone !

      J baker
      , 12 years ago
  • 6 Awards

    Award Year Award Plant Trial
    2010 Showstopper Plant North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
    2010 Bronze Medal Champaign County Illinois Master Gardener Idea Garden
    2010 Bronze Medal Champaign County Illinois Master Gardener Idea Garden
    2010 Bronze Medal Champaign County Illinois Master Gardener Idea Garden
    2010 Showstopper Plant North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
    2010 Showstopper Plant North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
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