Buddleja davidii Chrysalis Steel Blue – Compact Butterfly Bush
Chrysalis Steel Blue flowers in a cool, steely blue-violet rather than the usual purple, on a plant that stays mounded at 50 to 70 cm instead of throwing the long bare stems of a standard B. davidii. Flowering is continuous from spring through late summer without deadheading, and the panicles sit close enough to the foliage that the plant reads as a flowering shrub rather than a collection of wands.
Plant in full sun with free drainage. It is highly drought tolerant once established, resistant to downy mildew, and holds its form in rain rather than collapsing open. Cut back hard in late winter to rebuild the framework. The compact habit makes it a practical choice for a border front, a mass planting, or a large container, and it draws butterflies as reliably as any of the taller forms.
- Mature height: 50–70 cm
- Mature width: 45–60 cm
- Light needs: Full sun
- Fragrance: Medium, honey
- Drought tolerant, mildew resistant, attracts butterflies
