Buddleja is an attractant plant toward hummers, but does not provide great amounts of nectar to hold them over. I definately give you the go ahead advice to put buddleja out in the landscape, but to really bring in the hummers, you need other shrubs and perennials to coax them into to give you are show and them a meal. Perennials like cultivars of Agastache, Salvia, Penstemon, Lonicera, Nepeta, Corydalis, Fuschia, and so on. Shrubs and trees like Aesculus Red Horse chestnut, Albizia julibrissin, Styrax japonica and obassia, Weigela, Ribes ( selected) and so on. Buddleja is not toxic to the touch and ingested in small amounts, though it may, in large doses, can cause gastro-intestinal problems like vomint or diarrhea. Buddleja has given me no porblems in terms of caterpillars, because it is not a huge host plant for butterflies. Although, in certain aras, it has been linked, with every other soft-tissued shrub, to have evidence of webworm, budworm or leaf-rollers. But if you worry to much on that to ever happen, then you should worry about almost every other plant.

I know you didn't ask but here is a link to native alternatives. Sarah

Here is a link that might be useful: NewJersey native plants that attract hummingbirds

Thank you both for the helpful information. We do have a variety of other hummer plants as well (S. guaranitica, Agastache, Fuschia, S. coccinea, Ipomoea). It's just that our shrub taking up room is Spirea, which does nothing for hummingbirds and, so, we were considering relacing it with Butterfly Bush. But, if it doesn't have much nectar, it doesn't sound like a good choice either - unless, others have had good luck with it??

I've never seen hummers at my butterfly bushes - Sungold, Dartmoor or Lochinch. which are yellow and lavender-purple. Swallowtails love them, so they are worth it, very long blooming if you dead head. Deadheading also prevents reseeding - butterfly bush is apparently invasive in some places but in my garden and my mother's we probably only see one seedling in five years.

You could also amuse yourself with a shrubsize perennial like hibiscus coccinea. Or a lonicera sempervirens trained on a support. Most of the shrubs Agastacheman listed have the drawback of a short bloom season, although they are surely nice shrubs.

My Hummingbirds, neither Rufous or Calliope, have never visited the flowers, at least when I have been watching. I have the dark purple flowered one with orange centers. Doesn't seem like it would be worth planting it for Hummers in my opinion.

I would plant a Trumpet Vine on a wooden pole and let it grow up it, but keep it trimmed into a small bush or tree. I have seen Trumpet Vines done this way as free standing "shrubs" in lawns and the effect is nice. Trumpet Vines provide a great nectar source in late summer, often after other perennials are done blooming.

BN

I have had great luck with my butterfly bushes. I have three...they make a living fence. Dark purple, lavender, and white. The hummers also come to the feeder, the lavender, plumbago and citrus trees. I love my butterfly bushes, but I am in CA, and have heavy hummingbird activity year round...
Stephenie

I am with YogaStef with this one. High hummer count in the central Cali coastline, and the Rufous love my Red Plume, Summer Beauty, Lochnich and Pin Perfection. Although its an attractant, they do prefer, like I stated before, the Agastache and Salvia.

I'm in S.E. MO and the hummingbirds here love it. Mine is tri-colored-white, pink and dark purple. I've not seen any catepillars on it. It is a fast growing plant here and I usually cut it back to the ground after the last chance of frost but you don't have to. I also dead-head it. The monarchs really like it, too.

Charlee

I've not seen hummers on my lavender pink butterfly bush, and mine is now starting to self sow, so I can't recommend it. How about a fence or trellis with Lonicera sempervirens on it, with a flame azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum) in front of it?

One shrub that I have heard many people say that their hummingbirds visit is Rose of Sharon..the single flowered type that looks like Hollyhock flowers.

BN

I've never seen one on my butterfly bush, but my parents say their rose of sharon is a hummer airport when it blooms. a short bloom out, but that's when they find out how many hummers are really in the neighborhood.

I saw one on my butterfly bush last year a couple of times. I have the rose of sharon called Lucy, it's a double flower, and the hummers won't go to that one.

I have three Butterfly Bushes, Pink Delight, Dark Purple and Red. I have seen hummers on the Pink Delight every season, they seem to really like that particular one. And the fragrance is nice too.

In ten years, I have only seen a hummer at my butterfly bush once.

Richard

I have this odd species of buddlea called Buddlea Hemslyanna, the spelling I'm not sure of. Fairweather Gardens had it for sale a few years ago and listed it as a hummingbird plant. Hummingbirds do use it, but I can't say for sure how much. It's in a part of the yard where I don't spend much time. I only rarely see hummers using Davidii and they are never serious about it.

Mine aren't blooming yet, but last year, I didn't see any visiting them. Just hummingbird moths...
I have white, Sungold (just removed), Black Knight, lilac, and added late last fall, Pink Delight & Royal Red.

I have five butterfly bushes - two that bloom a lilac color, two that bloom white and another that blooms a light violet/blue color (lindleyana). Have never...never...never seen a hummie frequent any of them. Maybe a few butterflies here and there but not one single hummie.

Will say hummies and butterflies love my firebush (hamelia patens) hedges though. Got them on each side of my driveway and they are always full of activity. They also frequent some duranta purple sky flower bushes I have as well.

~ Cat