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butterfly bush?

I planted a butterfly garden. All my plants are doing very well...I have golden dew drops, lantana, milkweed, etc. Well that is except for my butterfly bushes. They are wilting and I water them frequently. One actually lost all of its leaves, but is sending out new shoots. The others seem to wilt in the heat of the day and some of the branches have died. I live in central Florida. The landscaper laid out this garden for me so he must have thought butterfly bushes would grow fine in my area. Any suggestions out there? Thanks in advance.

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If they are wilting, their root systems are under stress from lack of water. Are you watering them for long enough for the roots to get fully saturated? Do you have mulch around the base of the plants? Are you watering in the morning or evening so the water just doesn't evaporate? If you are doing all these things already, the sun may just be too intense for them at this point. If the plants are small enough, try covering them with a large plastic pot during the middle of the day.
Could there be a chance that you are over watering your bushes? Not all plants like to be watered frequently. What kind of "butterfly bushes" are they?
I live in central Florida too and the initial shock of the planting is probably the cause of the first leaf drop. Your landscaper could have had the plants in pots in the sun on his route speeding from house to house for days, then plunk! Or the nursery he got them from could have failed to water on the day they were picked up. Now that the leaves dropped, and shoots are coming back, make sure the plants are tight in the ground and mulched well up to the base. Cut back anything that looks dead, dying or leggy,(lots of space between leaf sets). Cut the bottom off a soda jug, poke holes around the cap with a sharp knife, put the cap on and set it in the ground near the ailing plant, fill it with water to deliver a drip until the plant recovers. also check out your plant choices before you buyt at www.garden.com watch that lantana, it is a hearty plant that can take over since it is native to FL.
Hi there! In Australia, we call a plant named Buddleia by the nickname of Butterfly Bush. They are usually white or pink/purple and have cone shaped flowers. In my experience, they are pretty tough. Mine didnt receive a great deal of watering, maybe a deep soak, leave the sprinkler on it for a couple of hours, once a fortnight. They have to be cut back hard in spring as they flower on new wood, and become very large and straggly if left. Hope this helps. I'm thinking maybe your climate is the problem, humidity, rainfall eetc. Find out the botanical name of the bush and look it up on the net?
I think you are overwatering. Tolerant of many soil conditions, Butterfly Bush needs full sun for best growth and flowering, and needs little care once established. Plant it and forget about it, except for occasional watering during drought. A good plant for highway median or roadside specimen or cluster planting. Propagation is by seed or cuttings. Pests Foliage and flower buds are often eaten by caterpillars in the fall, but these can be easily picked off by hand. Cassia is otherwise seldom plagued by insect pests or diseases. Damaged or stressed cassia can be infested with trunk borers.
Try watering them very deeply and mulch them 3inches deep. The heat sometimes make them look wilting until over in the afternoon. Make sure there are no exposed roots that could be drying them out.
I don't have an answer for you but I also live in Central Florida and mine is doing the same thing. I wonder if with all this horrible heat we have had it is just in shock. I am hoping it will recover on its own because it made it through last summer and the winter with me doing nothing special to it. Good luck!
Butterfly bushes is also a shade loving plant if that helps you
Of the many, many types of BUDDLEJA (butterfly bush) all have 2 things in common.... Good drainage and CUT TO THE GROUND after blooming.... as they regrow from the roots.
Butterfly Bushes are good in zones 5-9. If they were transplanted recently, it may be transplant shock. They hate to be moved. If they are sending out new shoots then that is a good sign that they should be OK. They like full sun but if it is excessively hot you may want to mulch around the base of the plant to help retain moisture. Enjoy the butterflies!!!