A New Butterfly Bush for the New Year!
A new year means a fresh start to your landscape! It is the second day of January, and while we are still very much snow-covered here in West Michigan, it is never too early to start planning your spring garden. One plant you might consider adding is the lovely Mop Top® fountain butterfly bush (Buddleia alternifolia).
This selection offers features different from your typical buddleia: spring-flowering and cold hardiness down to USDA zone 4. Plus, with its dramatic weeping habit, Mop Top is the perfect way to bring a unique sense of whimsy to your 2026 garden!
Mop Top butterfly bush is made up of long, cascading branches covered in an abundance of lavender-colored blooms. The spring floral display is a welcome sight for pollinators, who visit throughout the season for a flower-filled feast. As it matures, it grows between 3 and 5 feet tall and wide, establishing itself as a magical focal point in the landscape.
Mop Top butterfly bush is a tough landscape performer suited to USDA zones 4 – 8. It looks its best when grown in full sun and well-draining soil. Once established, it is very drought tolerant. We don’t recommend any pruning. If you would like to give it a trim, do so only after it flowers in the spring, as it blooms on old wood.
So Long 2025, Hello 2026!
Ring in the New Year with Stacey and Rick, who in their latest Gardening Simplified episode, discuss the use of plants in New Year’s celebrations. They also share a few garden resolutions for 2026!