Brand Spotlight: Growing Sweet Success in Small Spaces with Butterfly Candy™ Buddleia

As spring returns, garden centers are gearing up to recommend exciting new plants and products and answer a flurry of questions, with small-space gardening and pollinator plantings sure to top the list of queries.

In the last few years, new gardeners have demonstrated a growing desire to maximize whatever green space they have — whether it’s a small backyard, a balcony or a front porch. These new gardeners aren’t just browsing; they’re ready to invest time and money in their outdoor spaces. Yet, recent studies reveal that the number of urban gardeners interested in pollinator gardening significantly outweighs the number of actual pollinator plantings.

A key hesitation these gardeners expressed is uncertainty in their knowledge or skills regarding pollinator gardening. These challenges can feel compounded for gardeners contending with smaller outdoor spaces — a swiftly growing demographic. Indeed, the 2024 National Gardening Survey cited a lack of space and knowledge as key barriers to would-be gardeners engaging more fully in the hobby.

Faced with these challenges, plant marketers and breeders at Plant Development Services have debuted a big solution in a small package, and they say garden centers are in the perfect spot to help new gardeners keep gardening.

“Garden centers are at a unique advantage when it comes to addressing customer anxiety — by offering hands-on guidance, expert advice and thoughtfully curated inventory, they can transform uncertainty into confidence and curiosity,” says Corrina Murray, director of marketing for Plant Development Services.

The new Butterfly Candy® Buddleia collection is a powerful tool for garden centers to this end. These prolific bloomers produce a continuous stream of fragrant, nectar-rich blooms from summer through fall, attracting a dazzling array of pollinators. Butterfly Candy varieties thrive in full sun and require minimal pruning, and their drought tolerance, once established, reduces the need for constant watering. Easy care takes the guesswork out of providing nectar for pollinators, and an exceptionally long blooming season drives value.

“The past years have seen a transformational uptake in gardening by new audiences, but we feel a responsibility to empower and engage them,” Murray says. “Targeting our messages, products and displays to speak to burgeoning interests like pollinator gardening is one of the ways we, as an industry, can keep them.”

As the next generation of butterfly bush, the Butterfly Candy® collection is bred for its manageable size, typically reaching just 2 to 3 feet in height and width. This compact growth habit makes these “li’l” varieties perfect for container gardening on patios, balconies or even tucked into small-scale garden beds.

Available in five distinct colors, the collection’s spectrum of hues will transform any sunny space into a fluttering buffet for pollinators. Deep, rich purples on Li’l Grape™ paint a dramatic effect, while the soft, pastel pink of Li’l Taffy™ adds a touch of sweetness to the landscape. Li’l Coconut™ shines with crisp, clean white blooms for those seeking a cooler palette, while Li’l Lavender™ offers a delicate violet hue.  For a burst of vibrance, the KVBC award-winning Li’l Raspberry™ provides exceptional fuchsia blooms.

For garden centers, their charming appeal extends beyond this collection’s petite size. These charming dwarf pollinator magnets are paired with perfectly matched, colorful pots, creating playful displays that capture the imagination. Butterfly Candy® delivers a cohesive brand experience, from the retro pastel aesthetic to the user-friendly point-of-purchase materials, free to garden centers.

Whether consumers ask for a vibrant and buzzing balcony garden, a charming pollinator patio display or a pollinator-friendly pocket in the landscape, Butterfly Candy is a worry-free solution garden centers can offer. Its compact size, continuous blooms and easy care make it fit perfectly — on store shelves and in small-space gardens.