Buddleja lindleyana

photo: greggys stuff@flickr

Heat tolerant, long blooming, a great habitat plant & shockingly little known compared to the ubiquitous Buddleja davidii. Starting in late Spring, & continuing late into the Summer, long, pendulous racemes of slightly fragrant flowers appear. Flowers are lavender in bud, royal purple when open, & attractive to butterflies, bees & hummingbirds. Racemes elongate as blooming continues, & can reach an astounding TWO FEET in length. Wow! Native to China, this thicket-forming evergreen shrub grows to 6' tall, & makes a wild & beautiful informal hedge over time. Spreads by runners, so best planted where you won't mind it popping up here & there. Can be pruned fairly hard when rejuvenation is needed, but pruning is not required. Grows in most soils, & tolerates brief spells of drought.

Claire Woods
Propagator