• The purple-black foliage of Kodiak Black diervilla, showing its neat opposite arrangement
  • Closeup of the small yellow flowers of Kodiak Black diervilla being pollinated by a bumblebee.
  • Kodiak Black diervilla in autumn, showing its red seed heads and red fall color on its foliage.
  • a specimen of Kodiak Black diervilla in a landscape.
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Diervilla Kodiak® Black - Bush Honeysuckle

$21.99
$21.99
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We love this shrub! Kodiak Black diervilla (Diervilla rivularis) is definitely not the showiest plant we offer, but it is one of the hardest-working, and it simply looks great without you having to lift so much as a finger. In spring, neat purple-black leaves emerge, directly across from each other, along the long, straight stems. The foliage keeps that color, and its especially vivid on the new growth - so much the better to contrast with the hundreds of bright yellow flowers that pepper the plant in summer. The blooms attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and all sorts of pollinators, thanks to their high level of nectar and near-constant presence, and the foliage hosts the larvae of hummingbird moths. 

We love this plant combined with the yellows of our native perennials, like goldenrod or helianthus; it also makes a fabulous match with agastache or pink butterfly bushes.

Check out the other colors in the Kodiak diervilla series here.

Vital details:

Plant size: 3-4' tall and wide

Light: full sun (6+ hrs/day), part sun (4-6 hrs/day). Grows in a good amount of shade, but not as colorful, and flowering is diminished.

Water: Average moisture

Hardiness: USDA zone 4-7 (Find your hardiness zone)

Pollinator value: flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators; foliage hosts the caterpillars of hummingbird moths.

Notable features: Proven Winners, drought tolerant, long blooming, native.

Care notes: Overall, this durable plant needs little pruning, but can be trimmed as needed. Major pruning is best done in spring. We have found that deer may eat this plant but rarely cause any significant or disfiguring damage, and it always seems to rebound quickly.

Pot size: one quart

Plant name: Diervilla rivularis 'SMNDRSF' pp#27,550, cbr#5938

The purple-black foliage of Kodiak Black diervilla, showing its neat opposite arrangement
Closeup of the small yellow flowers of Kodiak Black diervilla being pollinated by a bumblebee.
Kodiak Black diervilla in autumn, showing its red seed heads and red fall color on its foliage.
a specimen of Kodiak Black diervilla in a landscape.

FAQs

Care & Planting Guide

After your plants have arrived:

The plants in this box have just spent a lot of time being jostled around in the dark and must be unboxed right away. Unpack the entire box, removing packaging material and plants. Remove any plastic covering the pot and/or soil surface and check if the soil is dry. Water anything that is dry or looks wilted. Any plants that have come unpotted during shipping can be replaced in their pots and their roots covered with soil.

Place plants in a cool, shaded spot out of direct sunlight for 24- 48 hours after unpacking them. This allows them a recovery and acclimation period before planting. If you must hold them longer, place them out of direct sunlight, wind, heat, and cold. Check daily for watering.

Our Guarantee

Our Guarantee

No Risk 60 Day Guarantee

We guarantee that you will be satisfied with your purchase and that your plants will arrive healthy, free of pests and diseases, and true to name.  If for any reason you are dissatisfied, notify us within 60 days of receipt of your order and we will refund you.

Fall Guarantee

Notify us within 7 days if you have a concern about orders shipped in autumn so we can make a note of it.  Warranty on such plants is extended to May 31 of the following year.  Our fall guarantee does not cover plants that are not hardy (i.e., able to survive winter) in your area, so please verify your USDA hardiness zone before purchasing. If you have questions about whether a plant can survive winter in your area, please call us before purchasing.

Our Larger Root Systems

We ship jumbo size plants with hefty root systems that outperform smaller plants obtained from other mail order nurseries.

Shortages/Damages

We take great pride in our packaging.  Please contact us immediately if any of your boxes arrive damaged, or if you find any shortages or inconsistencies in the order. Please note: multiple boxes shipped by Fed Ex might not always arrive the same day. For more information, please see our shipping page.

Dormant Plants

Any plant shipped dormant in the spring is guaranteed to break dormancy even if it takes more than one month.  Call us directly if you have any concerns.

Photos

Photos of the plant(s) will be required so that we may provide the best assistance possible.

Refunds

A plant refund is based on the plant cost less discounts and shipping charges.  Allow up to 2 weeks for processing.  We reserve the right to request a return of an item. Click here to request a refund.

Product Care

After 60 days, we cannot be responsible for product that is in your care.  This includes overwintering, animals, insects, diseases, poor planting, plants beyond their hardiness zone, drought, flooding, etc.  Our expert staff is here to assist you with any problem you may be experiencing.  Our goal is that you are successful with our product.

Our Record

Our parent company, GreatGardenPlants.com, has successfully shipped high quality plants for more than ten years.  We take the same pride in the quality of plants sold here at ButterflyBushes.com.

USDA Hardiness Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones Map

ZONE HARDINESS

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has devised a system to provide gardeners with a basic guide to plant hardiness – how much winter cold a plant can withstand. The Hardiness Zone Map system divides the United States and Canada into numbered zones based on lowest average winter temperature. Even within a zone, different micro-climates exist, such as large urban areas which may be warmer or land situated at different elevations.

WHAT EFFECTS PLANT HARDINESS

The Hardiness Zone Map is a valuable tool but it is not foolproof. There are a variety of factors that can influence the hardiness of a given plant in a garden. These factors include: soil type, drainage, snow cover, exposure to wind, winter, rainfall (or lack of), as well as fluctuations in temperature.

HOW IT WORKS ON OUR SITE

When you are on a plant page, scroll down until you see the bold "Hardiness" text.

Shipping Policy

Use collapsible tabs for more detailed information that will help customers make a purchasing decision.

Ex: Shipping and return policies, size guides, and other common questions.

Shipping Policy

How to Contact Us: 
General Customer Service & Phone Orders:
Phone: 1-877-447-4769 (Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST).
Mail: ButterflyBushes.com, 12601 120th Avenue, Grand Haven, MI 49417
Email: customerservice@butterflybushes.com

Shipping costs

We try to keep shipping rates as low as possible to offer you the best value. Unlike other companies, with us, when you buy more, you save more on shipping! Our standard rates are:

 Order Value:

Shipping Cost:

$0.01 – $39.99

 $16.99

$40.00 – $59.99 

 $9.99

$60.00 – $99.99

 $4.99
$100.00+ FREE

 

Don't worry: our discount rates don't mean we cut corners on shipping. Our professional shipping staff packs each order - each plant! - with the care they'd take in their own gardens. Your plants will arrive in good, healthy condition, ready for you and your visiting pollinators to enjoy.

Ship Schedule

Shipping will begin April 11 and close October 18, 2024. Once the beginning date for shipping in your zone has passed, we ship your order within three business days of when you placed it, provided all plants you ordered are in stock.

Not sure what zone you are in?  Use our map to find yours by ZIP code.  

Shipping Methods

Orders within the 48 contiguous states are shipped via Fed Ex Home Delivery Service, which delivers weekly Tuesday-Saturday. All orders require a street address.  We are unable to ship to Alaska, Hawaii, APO/FPO military address or PO boxes.

 

Customer Reviews

Based on 5 reviews
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M
M.H.
Kodiak Black Diervilla

Planted my quart size Kodiak Black Diervilla 2 weeks ago and it is settling in nicely. Very healthy and robust shrub!!

T
Thea W.
Very satisfied

The plants were carefully packaged therefore had no damage. Very good color and very healthy!

J
Joe P.

Died in under a week.

Hello! We're sorry to hear that you've had trouble with your new plant. Please email pictures of the plant to claims@greatgardenplants.com, making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!

https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee

D
D.B.
Positive results thus far

Plants seem to have acclimated well and are growing quite well at this point. We have yet to see how they survive a Michigan winter. I was skeptical about mail order plants, but these arrived in excellent condition using well thought out packaging.

S
Shelly S.
Grows beautifully

Looked great on arrival. Took to the area quickly and has new growth already started.