Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Wooly Butterfly Bush
Woolly butterfly bush is a dense, rounded desert shrub with soft, silvery leaves and small orange flower balls that butterflies love. It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, blooms most in spring and summer, and keeps its silver leaves all year.
It needs full sun and little water once rooted, and it handles cold to about 15°F. Unlike the common butterfly bush, it is a Chihuahuan Desert native that thrives in Valley heat.
Best for: butterfly gardens, silver accents against dark green shrubs, informal hedges, and low-water beds near pools and patios.
Small orange flower balls cover the plant most heavily in spring and summer, and butterflies come for the nectar. Plant a group in full sun for the biggest show.
Its soft, silvery leaves stand out against deep green shrubs. Use it as an accent or background shrub in a desert bed.
Plant several 4 to 6 feet apart for a soft, silver informal hedge about 3 to 5 feet tall. It keeps its leaves all year.
It works around pools and water features in a xeric design. Keep it in full sun, even there.
It needs full sun with no shade, and it does poorly in heavy clay that stays wet. Old plants get woody without an occasional hard cutback.
- Informal hedge4 ft apart
- Spaced shrubs6 ft apart
Water new plants 1 to 3 times a week for the first few months while the roots spread. Then stretch the time between waterings.
Water every 1 to 2 weeks in summer, every 2 to 3 weeks in spring and about monthly in fall. Winter watering is rarely needed.
Prune in fall to shape it and remove dead or damaged wood. Every two or three years, cut it back to a foot or two above the ground to renew it.
Plant it in full sun with no shade. Shade makes it sparse and cuts the flowers.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Does woolly butterfly bush grow in Phoenix?
Yes. It is a Chihuahuan Desert native that loves heat, intense sun and drought. Plant it in full sun with no shade. It also handles reflected heat off a hot wall.
How big does woolly butterfly bush get?
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide in a dense, rounded shape. Plant it 4 to 6 feet apart.
When does it bloom?
It blooms most heavily in spring and summer, with some flowers at other times. Keep it in full sun for the most flowers.
How often should I water woolly butterfly bush?
Water new plants 1 to 3 times a week for the first few months. Once rooted, water every 1 to 2 weeks in summer, every 2 to 3 weeks in spring and about monthly in fall.
Does it need water in winter?
No, it usually does not. Once rooted, winter watering is rarely needed, so let rain carry it.
When should I prune woolly butterfly bush?
Prune it in fall to shape it and remove dead wood. Every two or three years, cut it back to a foot or two above the ground to renew it.
Does it attract butterflies?
Yes. The orange flowers are a rich nectar source for butterflies. Plant it where you can watch them from a patio or window.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 15°F, so it handles a Valley winter without frost cover.
Is woolly butterfly bush the same as butterfly bush?
No. Common butterfly bush is a Chinese shrub for cooler climates. Woolly butterfly bush is a desert native that grows much better in Valley heat, so choose it for hot, dry yards.
Can I plant it near a pool?
Yes. It suits xeric plantings around pools and water features. Give it full sun there too.
Is woolly butterfly bush evergreen?
Yes. It keeps its soft, silvery leaves all year.
Is woolly butterfly bush messy?
No. It drops very little litter, which helps near a pool or patio.
Wooly Butterfly Bush for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Woolly butterfly bush is the butterfly bush that grows well in the Valley. It is a heat-loving desert native with silver leaves and orange flowers. This page covers size, spacing, watering, pruning and how it compares with the common butterfly bush.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Woolly butterfly bush in Phoenix
Woolly butterfly bush is a silver-leaved desert shrub with orange flowers that butterflies love. It thrives in full sun and heat on little water.
How big woolly butterfly bush gets
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. Plant it 4 to 6 feet apart for an informal hedge or group.
Watering woolly butterfly bush
Once rooted, water every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and about monthly in fall. It rarely needs winter water.
Pruning woolly butterfly bush
Shape it in fall, and every two or three years cut it back to a foot or two to renew it.
Woolly vs common butterfly bush
Woolly butterfly bush is a desert native built for Valley heat. Common butterfly bush is a Chinese shrub better suited to cooler climates.
Plants for a butterfly garden
Its orange flowers bloom most in spring and summer and are a rich nectar source for butterflies.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.