Buddleja stachyoides is the most widespread member of the genus in South America, endemic to woodland edges, roadsides and riversides in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Introduced to the UK as B. australis in 1822, when the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh grew it from seed received from a Russian source, the plant was described and renamed B. stachyoides by Chamisso & von Schlechtendal in 1827.