Darkest Night® Butterfly Bush

Darkest Night® Butterfly Bush (Buddleia x 'SMNBDMO') is a deciduous flowering shrub with large, fragrant flower spikes in a purple so deep it reads almost black. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, and it is hardy in zones 5 through 10.

Most butterfly bushes bloom in lavender, pink or white. Darkest Night, from Proven Winners® ColorChoice®, takes the color to dark purple-black, which stands out against silver foliage, white flowers or a light-colored fence. Its green leaves make a quiet backdrop that lets the dark flowers carry the color, and its upright, mid-size frame fits a mixed border more easily than older butterfly bushes, which can reach 6 to 12 feet.

Use it at the back of a perennial bed, in a wildlife garden, along a sunny fence line, or as the tall centerpiece of a large container. Space plants 3 to 5 feet apart. It blooms through the summer on new wood, so the flowers come on the growth it makes each year.

Plant it in full sun, at least six hours of direct light a day, in well-drained soil. Once established it handles heat and dry spells, and deer tend to leave it alone. Average watering is plenty in most yards.

Plant Darkest Night® where you want the darkest flower color in your summer garden.