Miss Ruby butterfly bush is part of the series developed at the JC Raulston Arboretum in North Carolina through the plant breeding efforts of Dr. Dennis Werner of NC State University. It was a hybrid cross of B. 'White Ball' and B. davidii 'Attraction.' It is a member of the snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae). Miss Ruby butterfly bush has an upright, globular shape with numerous lateral branches and will grow up to 4 feet tall and wide.. Miss Ruby performs best with full sun and most well-drained soil and is drought tolerant once established. It is reliably cold hardy but will benefit from winter mulching. It may die back to the ground in colder zones but will resume growth from the crown the following spring. In regions where above-ground shoots survive over winter, plants may require occasional moderate pruning to maintain the desired compact growth. 'Miss Ruby' blooms on new wood. 'Miss Ruby' is considered a low-fertility plant producing nectar but little pollen. It attracts butterflies in abundance with its reddish-purple flowers in summer. In 2008, the United Kingdom's Royal Horticultural Society plant popularity poll ranked 'Miss Ruby' as its number one (out of 97 varieties) butterfly bush cultivar. Use this shrub in a border, as a hedge, as a specimen or a foundation plant. Works for a pollinator, drought-tolerant or cottage garden. Insect, Disease and Other Plant Problems : Spider mites can become a problem during drought. Nematodes can be a problem.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Often confused withBuddleja davidii 'Attraction'Buddleja 'Miss Molly'
Fills a similar nicheBuddleja Lo & Behold® 'Lilac Chip'Buddleja Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip'Buddleja 'Miss Molly'
Similar, less problematicBuddleja davidii 'Harlequin'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed; Rounded
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaf is green above and grey-green below.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Panicle; Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Inflorescences average 4" long and produce up to 160 flowers per inflorescence. Flower buds are red–purple with an orange corolla.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Stem detail
Plants are very dense with abundant lateral branching.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Colorful; Easy to Grow; Fragrance