Buddleia alternifolia

A graceful, early-blooming heirloom with weeping form and cascading lavender flowers.

Buddleia alternifolia, or Alternate-Leaved Butterfly Bush, stands apart from the typical butterfly bush crowd. This deciduous shrub, native to northwestern China, is cherished not only for its hardiness—the most cold-tolerant of its genus—but also for its unique weeping form and early-season floral display that transforms the landscape with fragrant, lavender-purple blooms.

In structure, Buddleia alternifolia resembles a small weeping willow, its long, arching branches cloaked in narrow, silver-green leaves that are arranged alternately—a key distinction from other Buddleia species. Come late spring or early summer, the plant erupts into a waterfall of softly scented blossoms, densely packed along last year’s wood, creating a dramatic, cascading effect that is both elegant and wildly pollinator-friendly.

Because it flowers on old wood, pruning should be done immediately after flowering to preserve the next year’s floral display. Left unpruned, it forms a naturally flowing silhouette up to 8–12 feet tall and wide, making it a stunning choice for cottage gardens, informal borders, or as a flowering focal point in more wild or naturalistic settings.

This species is not only tough and drought-tolerant once established, but also a magnet for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, living up to its name while offering greater reliability and cold tolerance than more modern hybrids.

Native Range: Northwestern China
Height & Spread: 8–12 ft tall and wide
Foliage: Deciduous; narrow, silver-green, alternate leaves
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Flower Color: Lavender-purple; fragrant; blooms on previous year’s wood
Notable Traits: Hardy, pollinator-attracting, early flowering, graceful weeping form
Garden Uses: Pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, mixed shrub borders, specimen plantings