Professional Growing Information 
I planted four of these in 2021. They did well for two years, but are now dead to the roots in 2023. We had a mild winter except for a single two day cold snap, so I think the cold killed them.
Pugster Blue® Butterfly Bush Buddleia x
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Details
Features
Full sized flowers on a dwarf plant!
Meet Pugster Blue® - it's a whole new look for butterfly bush. This compact plant reaches just 2'/.6 m tall and wide but has the large, full flowers normally seen on a much larger plant. It blooms non-stop from early summer through frost with true-blue flowers, each with a tiny yellow-orange eye in the center. Thanks to thick, sturdy stems, the Pugster® series offers vastly improved hardiness and winter survival over other types of dwarf butterfly bush.
Pugster Blue butterfly bush is featured in our "Pied Piper" magazine advertisement.
Top three reasons to grow Pugster Blue® butterfly bush:
1. Appealing true-blue flowers add hard-to-find color to any type of garden or landscape.
2. It produces full-sized flowers on a compact, dwarf frame.
3. Thick, sturdy stems ensure better winter hardiness in zone 5 than other dwarf butterfly bush.Best SellerFragrant FlowerContinuous Bloom or RebloomerLong BloomingDeadheading Not NecessaryDrought TolerantAttracts:BeesButterfliesHummingbirdsResists:DeerRabbitsCharacteristics
Plant Type:ShrubShrub Type:DeciduousHeight Category:ShortGarden Height:24 InchesSpacing:36 - 48 InchesSpread:24 - 36 InchesFlower Colors:BlueFoliage Colors:GreenFoliage Shade:GreenHabit:MoundedContainer Role:ThrillerPlant Needs
Light Requirement:SunThe 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:EasyBlooms On:New WoodBloom Time:Summer through FallHardiness Zones:5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9bHeat Zones:9Water Category:LowNeeds Good DrainageSoil Fertility Requirement:Average SoilUses:Border PlantUses:ContainerUses:Edging PlantUses:GroundcoverUses:LandscapeUses:Mass PlantingUses:Specimen or Focal PointUses Notes:Pugster butterfly bushes make an excellent addition to flower gardens.
*In zones 5 and colder it is not recommended for fall planting OR pruning.
Maintenance Notes:Get all the details you need to grow butterfly bush like an expert in our Ultimate Guide to Butterfly Bush.
PLEASE NOTE: Pugster Blue® - Butterfly Bush - Buddleia x is restricted and cannot be shipped to the state(s) of OR or WA.
Fun Facts:The name "Pugster" comes from these plants' resemblance to a pug - short, stocky, and cute! here are four colorful varieties to choose from: Pugster Blue, Pugster Periwinkle, Pugster Pink, and Pugster White.
Pugster Blue® Buddleia x 'SMNBDBT' USPP 28,794, Can 6,486 -
29 Reviews
51142332518Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.-
Anthony D., Rhode Island, United States, 33 sec ago
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Have 3 of these now, they are the best colour of Buddleja in my opinion and the initial blooms are large, mine were about 7 or 8 inches long. Grew one in a container as a centrepiece and it did very well but did require a small amount of fertiliser in a pot to keep the leaves healthy and green.
Kurt Ilko, United Kingdom, 1 week ago -
In my zone 5 garden this plant has experienced severe dieback of the top growth. There are a few leaves starting to emerge from the base but I am not impressed with this result. Not recommended.
Judith, Canada, 1 week ago -
Planted Pugster Blue in a sunny location in my butterfly garden in spring of 2022. Loved the plant through the summer and fall. Here in late May of 2023 it is dead to the ground with no signs of life of any kind. Other buddleia are sending new growth from ground up. Nothing from Pugster, and I am afraid it has perished. This may be due to the freakish temperature swing we had here in Cincinnati on Dec.22, 2022, but most other buddleia at least survived at the root level. I will keep it in the ground hoping for regrowth, but confidence is low at this late date. An expensive experiment.
Ken Z, Ohio, United States, 1 week ago -
I planted my pugster in 2021 and I’ve been very happy with it! It’s too early to bloom yet this season, but it’s leafing out just fine this spring. I’m in northeast NJ. I have given it minimal attention honesty. Bio-tone when planted and that’s it.
Lori, New Jersey, United States, 2 weeks ago -
I planted 5 of these around my yard last spring and they did fantastic all summer and fall. Come this spring, and all 5 are dead from the ground up. They're pushing leaves from the ground, but the wood from last year is totally dead. Complete disappointment when my full size butterfly bushes are coming back with vigor. This most recent winter was very mild, so this is exceptionally bad. Proven winners, you need to fix this or many of us won't be coming back to you in the future.
John S, New York, United States, 2 weeks ago -
I purchased two Proven Winner Dwarf Butterfly Bushes in spring of 2022 at a very good nursery, at a total cost of about $100.00. I pampered them through the season and they did great. I wintered them outside in zone 6 in a sunny location.. Now here we are in spring of 2023 and both are totally dead wood through to the roots. After reading the reviews, I think refunds from PW are definitely in order because this seems more the rule than the exception.
L R, Massachusetts, United States, 5 weeks ago -
I bought three of these last summer. 2 pugster blues, and 1 amethyst. All died over the winter. I'm in zone 6b. There were planted in full sun with Bio-tone starter fertilizer. Won't buy another.
Meredith, Connecticut, United States, 7 weeks ago -
In spite of the statement that they cannotship to WA, I bought this plant where it is a 7-8 zone. I found out later buddleias are considered invasive here. I needn't be concerned, though. It did great from spring through fall, but died over the winter. All branches are deader than a doornail. The zones fo rthis plant need to be changed.
Gail P Wiesner, Washington, United States, 7 weeks ago -
I have two of these shrubs and they are a workhorse in my garden. I've even moved them a couple of times to get them right where I want them. They overwintered find here (7b) and bloom all summer if I give them a light deadheading/sheering after the first bloom. The blooms are beautiful. I now want to expand my Spirea collection!
Robyn, Maryland, United States, 35 weeks ago
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