buddleia

American  

[buhd-lee-uh, buhd-lee-uh] / bʌdˈli ə, ˈbʌd li ə /

noun

1. any shrub belonging to the genus Buddleia, of the logania family, having opposite, lance-shaped leaves and clusters of flowers, comprising the butterfly bushes.

---

buddleia British  

/ ˈbʌdlɪə /

noun

1. Also called: butterfly bush.  any ornamental shrub of the genus Buddleia , esp B. davidii , which has long spikes of mauve flowers and is frequently visited by butterflies: family Buddleiaceae

---

Etymology

Origin of buddleia

< New Latin (Linnaeus), named after Adam Buddle (died 1715), English botanist; -ia

Example Sentences

Certain species such as cow parsley, yarrow and knapweed are in fact spreading, and he welcomes an influx of non-native plants and "garden escapes", such as snowdrop and buddleia.

From BBC

Hummingbirds zipped in and out of a purple buddleia bush; Hugo, an eager-to-please Border collie, stretched out on the porch, smelling faintly of skunk.

From New York Times

Edinburgh’s old Royal Infirmary has been abandoned for more than a decade, its doors boarded up, its gutters overgrown with buddleia and fireweed.

From The Guardian

Adults tend to feed on flowering plants and are often attracted to buddleia plants.

From BBC

Rather than roses and other highly bred ornamentals, monarch butterflies depend on flowers like daisies, asters and buddleia, a flowering plant commonly called butterfly bush.

From Washington Times