any ornamental shrub of the genus Buddleia, esp B. davidii, which has long spikes of mauve flowers and is frequently visited by butterflies: family Buddleiaceae
Also called: butterfly bush
Word origin
C19: named after A. Buddle (died 1715), British botanist
buddleia in American English
(bədˈliə; ˈbʌdliə)
noun
any of a genus (Buddleia) of shrubs and trees of the logania family, native to the tropics but commonly grown in temperate regions for their blossoms of purple, yellow, etc.