Buddleia Arch

I had the pleasure of walking under this lovely buddleia (butterfly bush) arch the other day.

It doesn’t completely hide the ugly power pole it grows next to, but it does a lot to improve that part of the street, where there isn’t much in the way of trees or anything too interesting growing in the parking strip. I didn’t see any actual butterflies visiting it at the moment, but I’m sure they love it.

Buddleia is considered invasive in some regions, including, alas, mine (Seattle), but we have one in the backyard anyway. I’ve only seen one seedling jump clear, so I hope it’s not too much of a menace. The simple sweetness of its fragrance alone is enough for me to risk being an eco-crumb, not to mention how happy it makes the bees and hummingbirds as well as the butterflies.

For more information about cultivating and pruning this very forgiving shrub, click here. This map shows states where the plant has escaped from gardens and is causing trouble.