Buddleia

Buddleia Overview

Buddleja or Buddleia is a genus containing over 140 deciduous, evergreen and semi-evergreen shrubs, trees and a few scrambling climbers. Most grow no taller than 5m and they have simple, lance-shaped to ovate leaves. Originally from Africa, Asia and the Americas, Buddleias are widely cultivated for their attractive, scented flowers and their varied, attractive colours in shades of purple, pink, red, yellow, orange and cream. Butterfly Bushes, as they also known, can flower anytime during spring, summer or autumn. There are a huge range of cultivars that have been developed for garden use and there's a colour and scent for every garden. Be warned however, that some species spread their seed very widely and are considered invasive in certain locations! Species such as Buddleja davidii, Buddleja alternifolia, and Buddleja crispa are particularly attractive to butterflies and other pollinating insects, their eye-catching panicles of small tubular inflorescences filling the air with lovely fragrance! The natural habitat of Buddleja is scrub, rocky areas and riversides. In cultivation they will often be found in mixed or shrub borders or wildlife gardens - often growing up against a sunny wall. (Or indeed from a crack in a wall!) In general, they like fertile, well-drained soil and watering in summer, if it is very dry. Some Buddlejas can be grown successfully indoors and most will need pruning, different species needing to be cut back at different times of the year. Frequently, they are found along rocky railways in the UK, having escaped from gardens and adapted well to this environment.