Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush
Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush
Soft Lavender-Blue Spires Alive With Butterflies
Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush (Buddleia 'Glass Slippers') charms with fragrant, soft lavender-blue flower spires on a tidy, dwarf plant that butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds adore from midsummer to frost. Its compact size suits smaller gardens and containers. In Minnesota it sits at the cold edge of its range, so it's best grown as a die-back shrub — cut to the ground each spring — in a protected, well-drained spot in Edina, Woodbury, or Maple Grove.
Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush Plant Details
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Buddleia 'Glass Slippers' |
| Mature Size | 2–3 ft. tall and wide (often shorter with winter dieback) |
| Hardiness Zone | 5–9 (Twin Cities is zone 4b–5a — marginal; grow as a die-back shrub in a sheltered spot) |
| Light | Full sun (6+ hours) |
| Bloom Time | Midsummer to frost (blooms on new wood) |
| Flower Color | Fragrant soft lavender-blue |
| Soil | Well-drained; dislikes wet, heavy soil — especially over winter |
| Winter Hardiness | Marginal in the Twin Cities — usually dies back and regrows; plant in a protected, sharply drained site |
| Deer Resistance | Rarely browsed by deer |
Landscape Uses in Minnesota
Compact pollinator focal point: Its dwarf size fits small borders and large containers, drawing butterflies all season. Space 2–3 feet apart.
Sunny, well-drained borders: Because it blooms on new wood, it flowers well even after winter dieback. Pair with coneflower, catmint, and Russian sage.
Best Time to Plant in Minnesota
Plant in late spring (May) so it establishes through the warm season. Choose the sunniest, best-drained, most sheltered spot you have.
How to Plant Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush
Dig a hole twice the root ball width at the same depth, amending heavy clay with compost and grit. Set the crown level, backfill, water in, and mulch 2–3 inches deep (keep mulch off the stems). A protected, south-facing site improves winter survival.
Watering Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush
First year: Water every 2–3 days at first, then weekly to establish. Stop 2–3 weeks before the ground freezes.
After year one: Drought-tolerant — water during dry spells only. Avoid soggy soil.
Q: Will it survive a Minnesota winter?
It's marginal here (about zone 5). In the Twin Cities it usually dies back to the ground and regrows from the base — fine, since it blooms on new wood. Plant in a sheltered, sharply drained spot and mulch the base.
Q: When do I cut it back?
Leave the stems over winter, then cut back hard in spring once new growth appears. It rebounds and blooms the same season.
Q: Is it a butterfly magnet?
Yes — the fragrant flowers are among the best for attracting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Q: Is it deer-resistant?
Yes — deer rarely browse butterfly bush.
You May Also Like
Buzz Midnight Butterfly Bush (Buddleia): A deep violet-blue dwarf from the Buzz series.
Coneflower (Echinacea): A fully hardy native pollinator partner.
Russian Sage (Perovskia): Airy blue spires that draw the same pollinators.
How Many Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush Do I Need?
Glass Slippers works best as a focal point rather than a hedge — in Minnesota it dies back each winter, so the row never holds a uniform shape. Plant a single specimen in a 3-foot circle at the front of a sunny border, or group 3 in a triangle at 2.5-foot spacing for a fuller lavender-blue drift. One plant per large patio container is plenty.
Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush Season-by-Season in Minnesota
- Spring: Slow to wake — cut last year's stems back hard once new shoots appear at the base (often not until mid-late May). Don't give up on it early.
- Summer: Fragrant soft lavender-blue spires open by midsummer on the new growth, mobbed by butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
- Fall: Keeps throwing new spires right up to frost — one of the last nectar sources standing in the yard.
- Winter: Top growth dies back in a Twin Cities winter; leave the stems standing and mulch the base — it regrows from the roots in a sheltered, well-drained spot.
At a Glance
✔ Pollinator-Friendly ✔ Deer-Resistant ✔ Drought-Tolerant
Plant It With
- Buzz Midnight Butterfly Bush — deep violet-blue dwarf companion for a two-tone buddleia pairing.
- Prince Charming Butterfly Bush — the fairy-tale partner in rich pink-red, same compact habit.
- Marvel Rose Salvia — a fully hardy perennial whose rose spires feed the same pollinators earlier in the season.
- Gemo Hypericum — a tough native shrub whose golden flowers bridge the gap until the buddleia hits stride.
Is Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush Right for Your Yard?
Choose Glass Slippers if you have a full-sun, sharply drained, sheltered spot — a south-facing bed or large container — and you want a compact, fragrant butterfly magnet that blooms midsummer to frost with real deer resistance. It's not a fit for heavy, wet soil or exposed sites: it's marginal in zone 4b–5a, and winter wet at the roots is what actually kills it. If you need guaranteed hardiness, a native pollinator shrub is the safer pick.