Buddleja indica – Buddleia –

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. indica –This evergreen shrub from Madagascar grows 12′ feet tall.  It is the most tender and unusual Buddleja.  It has lax branches that climb through nearby plants or trail along the ground.  It leaves vary considerably in shaped and may be very rounded or narrowly elliptical and up to 6″ long.  In winter it bears small clusters of heads of relatively large cream to yellow-green, or occasionally white flowers.  This shrub is rare but well worth growing in mild gardens. Zones 10-11