Description
Buddleja – Buddleia –
There are about 100 species of fast growing, evergreen, semi evergreen and deciduous shrubs, sometimes short lived trees and climbers and a few herbaceous perennials, in this genus. Named after seventeenth century English Botanist Adam Buddle. They occur from river sides, rocky areas, and scrub in Asia, Africa, Madagascar and North and South America. They are grown for their dense spikes or panicles of small, tubular, usually fragrant flowers in range of colors, from pink, mauve, reddish purple, oranges, and yellows. They produces large lance shaped to broadly ovate, usually opposite leaves. All except the climbers are suitable for a mixed or shrub border, or as specimens. Many are attractive to many insects, especially butterflies.
Grow these undemanding, tough plants in fertile, well drained soil in full sun. Some prefer chalky or limy soils, and are salt tolerant.
Prone to capsid bug, caterpillars, weevils, mullein moth, spider mites, fungal leaf spots, and dieback.
B. alternifolia – Fountain Buddleja– This deciduous shrub or small tree from Northwestern China grows 12-15′ feet tall and wide. From slender, arching shoots it carries alternate, small lance shaped, dark green, occasionally gray green with whitish undersides, to 3″ long. In late spring and early summer on previous years growth it bears dense, rounded clusters, 1 ½” long, of intensely fragrant mauve-pink flowers. Trained as a standard, it makes an excellent specimen plant.
Zones 6-9
