It might be that something else has their attention. Maybe it's not producing enough nectar for them, or they are preferring something else. Do you have a lot of other flowering plants?

In NH, I remember one year Common Boneset was all the rage (it was always covered with pollinators of all kinds), and then very little attention given the next year.

I also had a butterfly bush there too, and lots of other nectar plants, and popularity was even, or more slanted toward plants like coneflowers, milkweeds, goldenrods, zinnias, Mexican Sunflowers.

I have lots of flowers, roses, moss roses, holly hocks, geraniums, and numerous others. At least the Hawk Moth loves the butterfly Bush. And at least it is pretty and smells great. Linda Hagelstien

Linda, I would suggest that at your last residence, there were established breeding sites nearby for species that prefer feeding on a butterfly bush. Perhaps that is not the case where you are living now. Consider planting some appropriate plants where the butterflies in your area (that prefer or are attracted to buddleia) can lay eggs and build their cocoons, and feeder plants for the larvae. Also provide a mineral puddler for water and minerals. I'll bet that in a few seasons you will be back to butterfly-covered bushes.

This post was edited by zensojourner on Fri, Jul 18, 14 at 13:30

I think Butterfly Bush probably really gets its reputation because it's so widely available at nurseries that have historically not always had the most appropriate nectar plants available to butterflies. But who knows, another yard, another year, the butterflies will prove me wrong.

All I had to do was post the question here, and lo and behold I see 2 butterflies today on the bush! Thanks for your replies, I appreciate every single one of them.