Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii ‘PIIBD-II’)
A Large, Fragrant Butterfly Bush with Rich Reddish-Pink Flowers and Exceptional Pollinator Appeal
Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii
A Large, Fragrant Butterfly Bush with Rich Reddish-Pink Flowers and Exceptional Pollinator Appeal
Plant Overview
Common Name: Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush
Botanical Name: Buddleia davidii ‘PIIBD-II’
Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Plant Patent: PP26,278
Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 5–9
Primary Season of Interest: Summer into Fall
Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush is a vigorous flowering shrub known for its rich reddish-pink flower spikes, fragrant blooms, dark green foliage, and strong attraction to pollinators.
Unlike many smaller butterfly bush cultivars, Funky Fuchsia™ develops into a substantial rounded-to-upright shrub reaching approximately 6–8 feet tall and 6–8 feet wide. Its large size gives it a strong architectural presence in the landscape and makes it especially useful in the back of perennial borders, pollinator gardens, mixed shrub plantings, and informal screening.
The flowers are held upright on vigorous stems and typically reach approximately 6–10 inches long. Their saturated pink color, fragrance, and abundant nectar make them highly visible to both gardeners and visiting pollinators.
The dark green foliage is accented by gray coloring beneath the leaves, adding subtle texture and contrast even when the shrub is not in peak bloom.
Why We Grow It at 19 Birch Lane
At 19 Birch Lane, Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush fits especially well with our goal of creating gardens that are both visually dramatic and valuable to pollinators.
Its large flower spikes create strong late-season color, while its fragrance and nectar help attract butterflies and other pollinators into the gardens.
Because it grows much larger than many compact butterfly bushes, Funky Fuchsia™ can also act as an important structural plant within a perennial border. It creates height and mass behind smaller flowering plants while still providing an extended season of bloom.
For us, plants like this are especially valuable because they serve several roles at once:
Pollinator plant
Flowering shrub
Garden backdrop
Cut flower
Deer-resistant landscape plant
Drought-tolerant shrub once established
That combination helps create gardens that are both beautiful and practical.
Quick Facts
Botanical Name: Buddleia davidii ‘PIIBD-II’
Common Name: Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush
Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Plant Patent: PP26,278
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Heat Zone: 9
Height: 6–8 feet
Spread: 6–8 feet
Growth Habit: Rounded to Upright
Flower Color: Rich Reddish-Pink
Flower Length: Approximately 6–10 inches
Foliage Color: Dark Green with Gray Undersides
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Water Requirements: Medium
Pruning Time: Early Spring
Fertilizer: Balanced NPK
Fragrant: Yes
Pollinator Friendly: Excellent
Cut Flower: Yes
Deer Resistant: Yes
Drought Tolerant: Yes
Growing Conditions
Light Requirements
Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush performs best in:
Full Sun
Open Sunny Borders
Locations with Strong Daily Sun Exposure
For the strongest growth and best flowering, choose a site with plenty of direct sunlight.
Adequate sun encourages:
More abundant flowers
Stronger stems
Better overall form
Denser growth
Greater pollinator activity
Soil Requirements
The supplied plant information does not specify an exact soil type, but Butterfly Bush is best positioned in a location where the root zone does not remain excessively wet.
For a practical garden setting, choose a location that provides good drainage and sufficient space for its mature size.
Water Requirements
Funky Fuchsia™ has medium water needs.
During Establishment
Water regularly.
Encourage development of a strong root system.
Avoid allowing newly planted shrubs to dry severely.
Once Established
Funky Fuchsia™ is considered drought tolerant.
Established plants can handle periods of dry weather better than many traditional flowering shrubs, although supplemental watering during prolonged drought can help maintain vigorous growth and flowering.
Flower Characteristics
The flowers are the defining ornamental feature of Funky Fuchsia™.
Flower Features
Rich reddish-pink coloration
Approximately 6–10 inches long
Strong upright flower spikes
Highly fragrant
Nectar rich
Produced on vigorous stems
Excellent pollinator appeal
Suitable for cut flowers
The upright flower habit helps keep the floral display visible above surrounding foliage and neighboring plants.
Foliage Characteristics
Funky Fuchsia™ develops attractive foliage that helps support the shrub’s ornamental value throughout the growing season.
Foliage Features
Dark green upper surface
Gray-toned undersides
Dense foliage
Strong background for bright flowers
Good textural contrast
The gray beneath the leaves becomes particularly noticeable when the foliage moves in the wind.
Pollinator Benefits
One of the strongest reasons to grow Funky Fuchsia™ is its pollinator value.
Its fragrant, nectar-rich flowers provide an abundant food source during the flowering season.
Visitors May Include
Butterflies
Bees
Other Nectar-Feeding Pollinators
Large flower clusters make the plant highly visible to pollinating insects from a distance.
Why Butterfly Bushes Attract Butterflies
Butterfly Bush produces dense clusters of nectar-rich flowers.
Instead of visiting individual isolated blooms, butterflies can move across many small flowers within a single flower cluster, making the plant an efficient nectar source.
For a pollinator-focused garden, Butterfly Bush is best used as part of a broader planting that also includes a variety of flowering perennials and native plants across the full growing season.
Deer Resistance
Funky Fuchsia™ is considered deer resistant.
Its foliage is generally less attractive to deer than many common flowering shrubs.
As with any deer-resistant plant, occasional browsing remains possible, especially under high deer pressure.
Drought Tolerance
Once established, Funky Fuchsia™ is considered drought tolerant.
This makes it particularly useful in:
Sunny borders
Hot garden locations
Low-maintenance landscapes
Water-conscious plantings
Large mixed beds
Regular watering during establishment is still important.
Garden Uses
Because Funky Fuchsia™ grows substantially larger than many modern Butterfly Bush cultivars, allow enough room for its mature size.
Recommended Uses
Pollinator Gardens
Butterfly Gardens
Mixed Shrub Borders
Large Perennial Borders
Cottage Gardens
Wildlife Gardens
Informal Screens
Background Plantings
Cutting Gardens
Fragrance Gardens
Drought-Tolerant Gardens
Specimen Plantings
Botanical Collections
Using Funky Fuchsia™ in the Back of a Border
At 6–8 feet tall, this shrub works exceptionally well toward the back of a large perennial border.
Positioning it behind shorter plants allows the tall flower spikes to rise above neighboring flowers while creating a substantial green backdrop.
Good foreground companions include:
Sedum
Black-Eyed Susan
Asters
Hardy Geranium
Companion Plants
Funky Fuchsia™ works particularly well with plants that extend the pollinator season or provide contrasting flower colors.
Recommended Companion Plants for 19 Birch Lane
Coneflower
Catmint
Bee Balm
Salvia
Black-Eyed Susan
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Asters
Goldenrod
Joe Pye Weed
Yarrow
Garden Phlox
Ornamental Grasses
Caryopteris
Whenever a corresponding Plant Finder page exists, companion plants should be internally linked directly to their individual listings.
Care & Maintenance
Funky Fuchsia™ is relatively straightforward to maintain when planted in a sunny location with enough room to develop.
Pruning Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush
When Should Butterfly Bush Be Pruned?
Prune Funky Fuchsia™ in:
Early Spring
Avoid major fall pruning in cold climates.
Waiting until spring allows gardeners to evaluate winter survival and remove any damaged growth before the new growing season begins.
How to Prune Butterfly Bush
In early spring:
Inspect the plant for winter damage.
Remove dead or damaged branches.
Cut stems back to encourage vigorous new growth.
Shape the plant as needed.
Remove weak or crossing growth.
Strong spring pruning helps maintain a manageable shrub and promotes vigorous flowering stems.
Cold-Climate Considerations for Maine Gardens
Funky Fuchsia™ is listed for USDA Zones 5–9, placing Midcoast Maine toward the colder portion of its growing range.
Cold winters may cause substantial stem dieback.
If the upper branches appear dead in spring, do not immediately assume the entire plant has been lost.
Wait for signs of new growth near the base before making that determination.
For best results in Maine:
Plant in full sun.
Choose a protected site when possible.
Avoid locations with prolonged winter saturation.
Wait until spring to perform major pruning.
Allow enough time for new growth to emerge.
Fertilizing
The supplied care information recommends a balanced NPK fertilizer.
Apply according to product instructions and avoid excessive feeding.
Too much fertilizer can encourage overly soft vegetative growth instead of balanced flowering.
Cut Flower Use
Funky Fuchsia™ produces excellent flowering stems for fresh arrangements.
The 6–10 inch flower clusters provide:
Strong color
Vertical form
Fragrance
Texture
They pair especially well with:
Hydrangeas
Asters
Sedum
Goldenrod
Ornamental Grasses
White Flowers
Purple Flowers
Landscape Design Ideas
Funky Fuchsia™ has enough size to act as an anchor within a large planting.
Use it:
At the back of a perennial border
As a large flowering focal point
Near pollinator gardens
Along sunny property edges
As part of an informal screen
Behind lower perennials
In cottage-style plantings
Near cutting gardens
In large butterfly gardens
Its saturated pink flowers work particularly well with:
Purple
Lavender
Blue
White
Silver
Burgundy foliage
Why Gardeners Love Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush
✔ Rich reddish-pink flowers
✔ Large 6–10 inch flower clusters
✔ Highly fragrant
✔ Excellent butterfly plant
✔ Nectar-rich flowers
✔ Strong upright bloom habit
✔ Dark green foliage
✔ Attractive gray leaf undersides
✔ Deer resistant
✔ Drought tolerant
✔ Excellent cut flower
✔ Large landscape presence
✔ Great for full sun
✔ Hardy in Zones 5–9
✔ Useful as a pollinator-garden backdrop
Plant Finder Details
Botanical Name: Buddleia davidii ‘PIIBD-II’
Common Name: Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush
Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Plant Patent: PP26,278
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Heat Zone: 9
Mature Height: 6–8 feet
Mature Spread: 6–8 feet
Growth Habit: Rounded to Upright
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Water Requirements: Medium
Flower Color: Rich Reddish-Pink
Flower Length: 6–10 inches
Flower Fragrance: Fragrant
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Leaf Undersides: Gray
Pollinator Friendly: Excellent
Deer Resistant: Yes
Drought Tolerant: Yes
Cut Flower: Yes
Pruning Time: Early Spring
Fertilizer: Balanced NPK
📍 Where to Find This Plant at 19 Birch Lane
Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush is especially well suited to sunny garden areas where its mature size and large flowering display can be fully appreciated.
Potential planting areas could include:
Pollinator Garden
Butterfly Garden
Large Perennial Borders
Cutting Garden
Sunny Mixed Borders
Wildlife Garden
The exact permanent location at 19 Birch Lane has not yet been provided for this Plant Finder entry.
Once its location is established, this section should be updated with the specific garden name so visitors can use the Plant Finder as a digital guide to locate the plant within the living collections.
🌸 Seasonal Interest Calendar
🌱 Spring
New growth begins as temperatures warm.
Early spring is the primary pruning period. Remove winter-damaged stems and shape the shrub before vigorous growth begins.
☀️ Early Summer
Dark green foliage develops rapidly, creating a substantial rounded-to-upright shrub.
Flowering stems begin forming.
🦋 Summer
Large reddish-pink flower clusters appear and begin attracting butterflies and other pollinators.
Fragrance becomes particularly noticeable during peak flowering.
🌺 Late Summer
Funky Fuchsia™ continues providing strong color and pollinator activity.
Its large flower clusters can become an important late-season focal point within sunny borders.
🍂 Fall
Flowering may continue as conditions allow while other summer perennials begin declining.
❄️ Winter
The deciduous shrub becomes dormant.
In colder Zone 5 climates, stems may experience winter dieback. Major pruning should wait until early spring.
🎓 Garden Design Tips from 19 Birch Lane
At 19 Birch Lane, we would use Funky Fuchsia™ primarily as a large flowering anchor within a pollinator-focused border.
Because it can reach 6–8 feet tall and equally wide, it should not be treated like a compact Butterfly Bush.
Give it room.
Position it behind lower plants so the tall pink flower spikes rise over the planting rather than crowd neighboring perennials.
One effective combination would be:
Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush + purple Catmint + white Coneflowers + pink Sedum + ornamental grasses.
Another approach is to surround the rich pink blooms with cooler blue and silver tones from plants such as Russian Sage, Catmint, and Artemisia.
For a more naturalistic pollinator garden, combine it with:
Bee Balm
Coneflowers
Joe Pye Weed
Asters
Goldenrod
Native Grasses
Rather than depending on Butterfly Bush alone, use it as one part of a broader succession-of-bloom planting so pollinators have resources throughout spring, summer, and fall.
🌿 Plants That Grow Well with Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush at 19 Birch Lane
Recommended companions include:
Coneflower
Bee Balm
Catmint
Russian Sage
Salvia
Black-Eyed Susan
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Asters
Goldenrod
Joe Pye Weed
Garden Phlox
Yarrow
Caryopteris
Hydrangeas
Ornamental Grasses
Whenever these plants already have Plant Finder listings, link each name directly to its corresponding page.
This creates a stronger internal network between pollinator plants and helps visitors discover combinations based on bloom time, color, wildlife value, and garden design.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush?
Funky Fuchsia™ is a large flowering Butterfly Bush with fragrant reddish-pink flower spikes, dark green foliage, and a rounded-to-upright growth habit.
What is the botanical name of Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush?
Its botanical name is Buddleia davidii ‘PIIBD-II’.
How large does Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush grow?
It typically reaches approximately 6–8 feet tall and 6–8 feet wide.
What color are Funky Fuchsia™ flowers?
The flowers are a rich reddish-pink.
How large are the flowers?
Individual flower clusters typically measure approximately 6–10 inches long.
Are Funky Fuchsia™ flowers fragrant?
Yes. The flowers are fragrant.
Does Funky Fuchsia™ attract butterflies?
Yes. Its nectar-rich flowers are highly attractive to butterflies and other pollinators.
Does Butterfly Bush need full sun?
Yes. Funky Fuchsia™ performs best in full sun.
Is Funky Fuchsia™ deer resistant?
Yes. It is considered deer resistant.
Is Funky Fuchsia™ drought tolerant?
Yes. Once established, it is considered drought tolerant.
Can Butterfly Bush be used as a cut flower?
Yes. The long upright flower clusters make excellent additions to fresh arrangements.
When should Funky Fuchsia™ Butterfly Bush be pruned?
Prune it in early spring.
Should Butterfly Bush be pruned in fall?
In colder climates, major pruning is better delayed until spring so gardeners can evaluate winter damage before removing stems.
Is Funky Fuchsia™ hardy in Maine?
It is rated for USDA Zones 5–9, making it potentially suitable for many Maine gardens within that hardiness range. Colder winters may cause stem dieback.
How much space does Funky Fuchsia™ need?
Because it can grow 6–8 feet wide, provide generous spacing and avoid placing it too close to paths, buildings, or smaller plants.
Is Funky Fuchsia™ good for a pollinator garden?
Yes. Its fragrant, nectar-rich flowers and long flower clusters make it particularly valuable in pollinator-focused gardens.
What plants look good with a pink Butterfly Bush?
Excellent companions include Catmint, Coneflower, Russian Sage, Bee Balm, Sedum, Asters, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, and ornamental grasses.
Botanical Garden Notes
Butterfly Bush has become one of the best-known ornamental shrubs associated with butterfly gardens because of its long, nectar-rich flower clusters.
Funky Fuchsia™ adds particular ornamental value through its rich reddish-pink flower color, large upright flower spikes, and substantial mature size.
Within the developing botanical collections at 19 Birch Lane, this shrub can help visitors understand an important pollinator-garden principle: a successful pollinator landscape should contain multiple plant species flowering at different times of the year.
Butterfly Bush can provide an important floral resource during its bloom period, while complementary perennials and shrubs can extend those resources across the entire growing season.
Its size also makes it useful for demonstrating how flowering shrubs can form the structural backbone of a pollinator border rather than relying entirely on herbaceous perennials.
For more great information check out our blog in the Garden at 19 Birch Lane