Pollinator plant

Fountain Butterfly-bush

Buddleja alternifolia

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Common names

21 names · 14 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Alternate Leaf Butterfly Bush[2]
  • Alternate-leaved Butterfly Bush[2]
  • Alternate-leaved Butterfly-bush[3][4]
+4 more namesShow fewer names
  • Fountain Butterfly Bush[2]
  • Fountain Butterfly-bush[3][4]
  • Fountain butterflybush[1]
  • Weeping Butterfly Bush[2]
Other languages (13)
Dutch
  • Herfstsering
  • Vlinderstruik
French
  • Buddléia à feuilles alternes[3][4]
Afrikaans
  • Chinese treursalie[4]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 互叶醉鱼草[4]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 互葉醉魚草[4]
Czech
  • komule střídavolistá[4]
Danish
  • småbladet buddleja[4]
Estonian
  • vahelduvalehine budleia[4]
Finnish
  • kesäsyrikkä[4]
Lithuanian
  • Pražangialapė budlėja[4]
Russian
  • Буддлея очереднолистная[4]
Slovak
  • budleja striedavolistá[4]
Swedish
  • sommarbuddleja[4]
Sources & name notes (4)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Buddleja alternifolia ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Fountain butterflybush — VernacularName.tsv, line 157600; taxon NMYL.
[2] Buddleja alternifolia — Plant Toolbox common names ↗

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; English common names in a United States horticultural reference.

Source records
  • Alternate Leaf Butterfly Bush — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(1); heading: Common Name(s):; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Alternate-leaved Butterfly Bush — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(2); heading: Common Name(s):; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Fountain Butterfly Bush — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(3); heading: Common Name(s):; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Weeping Butterfly Bush — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(4); heading: Common Name(s):; Buddleja alternifolia.
[3] Buddleja alternifolia — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Alternate-leaved Butterfly-bush — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Fountain Butterfly-bush — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Buddléia à feuilles alternes — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
[4] Buddleja alternifolia — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Alternate-leaved Butterfly-bush — results[10].names[2]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Fountain Butterfly-bush — results[10].names[1]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Buddléia à feuilles alternes — results[10].names[12]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • vahelduvalehine budleia — results[10].names[3]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • komule střídavolistá — results[10].names[4]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • 互叶醉鱼草 — results[10].names[5]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • 互葉醉魚草 — results[10].names[6]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Буддлея очереднолистная — results[10].names[7]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Pražangialapė budlėja — results[10].names[8]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • sommarbuddleja — results[10].names[9]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • småbladet buddleja — results[10].names[10]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • kesäsyrikkä — results[10].names[11]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • budleja striedavolistá — results[10].names[13]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
  • Chinese treursalie — results[10].names[14]; taxon id 159584; Buddleja alternifolia.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Buddleja alternifolia is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Scrophulariaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Mature height
2.44–4.57 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Mature spread
3.05–5.49 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Plant habit
Arching; Cascading; Multi-stemmed; Open; Rounded; Weeping

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Life cycle
Perennial

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Growth rate
Medium

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Foliage
Deciduous

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Moisture and drainage
Good Drainage; Moist; Occasionally Dry

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)

NC State Extension profile. These source categories do not certify the catalogue’s numeric pH interval.

Sources [2]
Flowering season
Spring; Summer

NC State Extension profile. Seasons reflect the source region and do not verify the catalogue’s exact flowering months.

Sources [2]
Reported wildlife attraction
Listed as attracting: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, pollinators.

NC State Extension profile. Broad wildlife categories; this does not establish flower visits by a named bee species or quantify nectar and pollen.

Sources [2]
Native range
Tibet to N. & EC. China.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [3]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Unknown
Plant profile

About this plant

Fountain butterflybush (Buddleja alternifolia) is a shrub. It flowers in June.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Buddleja alternifolia — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 5052850; ID NMYL; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 5052850; ID NMYL; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. NC State Extension Buddleja alternifolia — Plant Toolbox

    NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Growing conditions and seasons reflect its United States horticultural context.

    Supports: Mature heightMature spreadPlant habitLife cycleGrowth rateFoliageLightMoisture and drainageSoil textureSoil pHFlowering seasonReported wildlife attraction
    Relevant sections
    • Mature height: Dimensions / Height
    • Mature spread: Dimensions / Width
    • Plant habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Light: Light
    • Moisture and drainage: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • Flowering season: Flower Bloom Time
    • Reported wildlife attraction: Attracts

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Buddleja alternifolia — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 1331242; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 1222395, 1222396, 1222397, 1222398, 1222399, 1222400

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.