Lo & Behold® Blue Chip Junior Dwarf Butterfly Bush

Buddleia x ‘Blue Chip Junior’ PP# 26,581

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Perennial Shrub or Groundcover

Height at Maturity: 24″ in ground; 18″ in containers

Width at Maturity: 24-30″ in ground; 18″ in containers
Spacing: 18-24″ for mass plantings or solid borders; 4′ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Mounding, Spreading

Growth Rate: Fast

Flower Color: Bluish-Purple

Flower Size: 6″ + long spikes

Flowering Period: May to Fall!

Flower Type: Spike

Fragrant Flowers: Yes

Foliage Color: Silvery Mint-Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: No

Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun

Water Needs: Average, low when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well-drained moist to dry

Soil pH: 5.5 – 8.5 (Acid to Moderately Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low to Average

Attracts: Visual Attention, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Insect, Rabbit

Description

Out of all the dwarf butterfly bushes we’ve grown over the years in our gardens, the original Lo & Behold Blue Chip has stood out as our favorite. Now we are happy to introduce an even smaller version called ‘Blue Chip Junior’. This one grows to only 18 to 24 inches tall and wide and is equally as floriferous as its larger cousin. Its smaller stature makes it an ideal selection for even smaller garden spaces and small to medium size pots and other patio containers.

Aside from its smaller size, there are other subtle differences between Blue Chip Junior and the original Blue Chip. Junior is said to be less brittle, though we haven’t had any problems at all with brittleness on either, and the leaves of Junior are a bit more silver. The flower spikes on Junior are longer (6 to 8″) and are more purple than blue. Too, it seems to flower more continuously throughout the season rather than in cycles. The spent flowers of Junior don’t need deadheading, though you can deadhead if you want. As with all butterfly bushes, Blue Chip Junior attracts and feeds both butterflies and hummingbirds, is exceptionally drought tolerant when established, and deer won’t touch it!

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing in a spreading mound 18 to 24 inches tall and wide, Blue Chip Junior is perhaps the best butterfly bush ever for use as a groundcover or container specimen. We suggest planting in a pot at least 12 inches in diameter. It serves well as an accent in larger, mixed container gardens. In larger landscape spaces it is ideal for use as a low border along paths and walkways, in groupings or massed as a groundcover in landscape borders and on sunny slopes and embankments It also serves nicely as an underplanting for smaller trees, such as Crape Myrtle, that allow sunlight to shine beneath their canopies. A fine addition to butterfly and hummingbird gardens, Xeriscape gardens (low water needs), and blue or purple theme gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 18 to 24 inches apart for mass plantings or solid borders; 4 feet or more apart for space between plants.

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Growing Preferences

The Blue Chip Junior Butterfly Bush is exceptionally easy to grow. It thrives in full to mostly sun and isn’t too picky about soil type, provided the soil is well-drained. It prefers a moist but well-drained soil when young however is quite drought tolerant when established. At least 6 hours of direct sun per day is suggested for best flowering. As with so many other perennial plants, constantly soggy or wet soils can be problematic. No deadheading is required though you can remove spent flowers if you want.

Helpful Articles

Click on the link below to find advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Butterfly Bushes…

How To Plant & Care For Butterfly Bushes

Planning a Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Garden Design & Planting Tips

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us!

We were so excited to receive this plant as it was on back order. It arrived just in time following a lovely rain storm. We now look forward to the Spring when it will be in full bloom. Seeing the care you give our plants in the packaging we can be assured the plants too are the best of the best.——————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

When received I had doubts whether this bush was going to make it, But it is thriving and beginning to show growth once it got into the ground. I created a small Zen type garden space and this fit the space perfectly with enough splash of color. The shipping was good, No damage. I did have concerns at first it seemed a bit dry on arrival and it was hot in our area. However, once planted, it is reviving beautifully and I I will enjoy over time. I hope it will survive the winter. It is for my zone so it may be ok. 4 stars for shipping and service and health of the plant. As this is a first review and I wish to get an overall picture of the plant quality overtime, I will update review.—————————————Hi Frances, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Lo & Behold Blue Chip Junior Butterfly Bush. I’m sorry it arrived a bit dry, we try our best to make sure they stay moist until they get to you. But we are so glad it’s doing well and you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens