'Miss Molly' Butterfly Bush

Gardeners who want the brightest red colors from a butterfly bush without the big, invasive behavior of older types should choose Miss Molly Butterfly Bush (Buddleia x "Miss Molly").  Its flower spikes, which range in color from deep pink to ruby red, look great against fresh green leaves. They make a great focal point in sunny borders, foundation plantings, and pollinator beds from midsummer until frost. 
 This Proven Winners® ColorChoice selection stays between 4 and 5 feet tall and wide, so it fits well in smaller landscapes while still making a big visual impact.  Miss Molly's mounded, compact shape makes it easy to fit into mixed shrub borders, cottage gardens, or as a stand-alone plant near patios and seating areas where people can enjoy its scent and the activity of pollinators up close.  Its naturally neat shape means less pruning work and makes the whole planting look planned instead of overgrown, whether it's in pots or small gardens. 
 Miss Molly cares about performance that lasts.  Once it is planted in full sun and well-drained soil, it will bloom from summer to fall, sending up one flush of flower spikes after another without needing to be deadheaded all the time.  The blooms look like bottlebrushes and are very appealing to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. They will make your yard a busy wildlife staging ground for months at a time.  The flowers have a light, sweet smell that is easy to notice but not too strong. This makes them perfect for planting near walkways or decks where people will walk by them. 

 This shrub is also easy to care for.  Miss Molly does best in full sun and average to dry, well-drained soil. She doesn't like wet, heavy conditions more than missing a watering.  It can handle drought, heat, and deer once it has settled in, so it's a good choice for busy gardeners or landscapes that don't need a lot of care.  In colder places, the top growth may die back in the winter, but the plant always comes back and blooms on new wood. To encourage thick, new growth, just cut the stems back in late winter or very early spring. 
 Put Miss Molly Butterfly Bush where it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. Space the plants 4 to 6 feet apart so they can grow and get air.  It does well in USDA Zones 5 through 9 and is hardy in many places without being invasive like older Buddleia selections.  You can use it as a bold anchor in a mixed pollinator border, as a repeating element along a fence, or in a small group near outdoor living spaces to add color and movement for a long time.  Miss Molly is a must-have butterfly bush for modern gardens because it is small, has bright red flowers, blooms for a long time, and is easy to care for.