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MENDIP TIMES
Buddlejas for butterflies
It is at this time of year that the Butterfly Bush really comes into its own and puts on a dazzling floral display enhanced by the rich variety of butterflies that are attracted by the perfume, to feast on the nectar in narrow tubular flowers. the main species blooming now is B. davidii, With MARY named in honour of Pere David, the PAYNE MBE missionary. It was introduced in 1890 from China and Japan but has now become naturalised on wasteland, railway embankments and even chimney pots! the generic name buddleja honours the Reverend Adam Buddle, an English botanist. In recent years this plant has undergone something of a revolution, thanks to the work done by Peter Moore of Longstock Nursery in Hampshire where a National Collection is housed. In the United States buddlejas have been declared an invasive and noxious weed and hence modern breeding has been concentrated on selected sterile hybrids. the selection and breeding of many plants has, in recent years, focused on varieties with compact habit, more suitable for the smaller gardens of today. thompson and Morgan introduced the Buzz Series, growing to between four and five feet, with a range of colour forms, Buzz Magenta, Buzz Sky Blue, Buzz indigo and so on. these can be grown in a container for 2-3 years but are better planted out. Even smaller, is the Flutterby Series bred in the US and suitable for pot culture, or even a hanging basket! this makes an impressive sight on a sunny bank, as it is of a completely prostrate habit. the main flowering season is July and August, but Longstock Autumn Delight, bred by Peter Moore, extends the flowering season from August to early October. For larger gardens Dartmoor makes an impressive sight with its wide spreading arching branches laden with multi-headed flower clusters. this variety was found by chance near Yelverton, on Dartmoor. the near black flowers of Black Knight make it a favourite, but needs careful positioning with a light background to show off the colour. You may have noticed that I have spelt buddleja with -ja at the end, when you were expecting it to be buddleia. this is because although the -ia version has been around for very many years, when Linnaeus first named the plant in honour of the Rev. Buddle in his Species Plantarum, he used – ja and therefore that is what it must be. Propagation of these buddlejas could not be easier. take 46” non-flowering side shoots of this season’s growth. Pinch out the tip and insert them round the edge of a pot of well drained compost. Pop a plastic bag over the pot, secured with a rubber band and keep out of the sun. they will root in about 4–6 weeks, but wait until next spring before separating them into individual pots. Even easier is to take hardwood cuttings. Wait until October/November. Cut 12” (30cm) lengths of the current season’s growth of pencil thickness or thicker. Remove the leaves. trim just above a bud at the top and just below a bud at the base. Insert these leafless “sticks” into deep pots or PAGE 58 • MENDIP TIMES • SEPTEMBER 2021
Red Admiral
straight into the ground such that only the top third of the cutting is visible. Wait till next autumn (2022). Dig them up and plant where required. Pruning B. davidii varieties is also very simple. In the autumn cut off the top one third of the bush. this helps avoid the winter winds rocking the plant. In early April cut all the last season’s growth back to a couple of inches from the base of each shoot. Few pests seem to attack these plants, which is also a bonus. Capsid bugs can cause ragged foliage with holes in, but when you see the damage it is too late to do anything. Occasionally the attractive mullein moth caterpillar appears and can seriously defoliate a bush amazingly fast so keep an eye open for these. Fortunately, this same pest seems to prefer its main host of the verbascums (Mulleins). there are many other buddleja species that make ideal garden plants. the Chilean Orange Ball tree (B. globosa) originates from S. America. Its round orange balls of flowers make an impressive sight in early summer, but this is not suitable for smaller gardens, growing to 4 -5 metres. Very little, if any, pruning is required of this shrub. It has been hybridised with B. davidii to give the orange flowered B x weyeriana Sungold. Similar in flowering time and habit to the traditional butterfly bush. B. alternifolia Argentea makes a fine standard specimen for a lawn. Long slender arching stems grow one year, then bear lilac along the length the following year, between April and June. Fine hairs on the leaves give a silvery appearance. Pruning involves cutting back the stems that have flowered to encourage new growth. B. x pikei Unique is a new compact sterile hybrid that flowers on current season’s wood and is suitable for a large pot. For those looking for something a bit different B. lindleyana flowers in late summer but is best for sheltered sunny positions. the arching flower spikes are much looser than with most buddlejas, giving the whole plant a more relaxed appearance. Buddlejas have much more to offer these days than their derelict bombsite cousins. Easy to grow, easy to prune and propagate, and above all, a feast for our beautiful native butterflies.
For more details go to: www.queensgreencanopy.org
