Side by side
Californian lilac or butterfly bush? How to tell them apart
Ceanothus · Buddleja davidii
How to tell them apart – Californian lilac: shrub with small, glossy, often wrinkled leaves and dense clusters of bright blue flowers; butterfly bush: long, narrow, grey-felted leaves and long purple flower spikes.
How do you recognise them?
- Californian lilac
- Shrub with small, glossy, often wrinkled leaves and dense clusters of bright blue flowers.
- Butterfly bush
- Shrub with long, narrow, grey-felted leaves and long flower spikes full of butterflies in summer.
- Compared with Californian lilac: long, narrow, grey-felted leaves and long purple flower spikes.
| Californian lilac | Butterfly bush | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 1–7 cm, oval to elliptic, finely toothed and glossy; often with three distinct veins from the base or with deeply impressed veins. | Opposite, lance-shaped, 10–25 cm, finely toothed; white-felted underneath. |
| Flowering | Dense clusters of small blue, sometimes white or pink flowers; the evergreen species flower in May–June, the deciduous ones from July to October (May–July). | Long panicles of fragrant purple (or white, pink) flowers, July–September (July–September). |
| Fruit | Small, three-angled capsules. | Small capsules full of dust-fine seeds; a single shrub produces many thousands. |
| Bark | Green to reddish-brown twigs. | Brown and peeling. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–3 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry | Full sun, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, naturalised |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and butterflies |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | March–April and June–July | March–April |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Californian lilac
- Plant profile: Butterfly bush
- Californian lilac: when and how to prune
- Butterfly bush: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.