Buddleia

[Susie]

The buddleia bicolour, also known as flower power, which was bought mail order last year is in bloom at last and it is very pretty.

[Susie]

The photo doesn't do it justice but already the butterflies love it and it has a lovely scent which is quite strong. The flowers start off purple, go through pink and end up a sort of salmon pink/orange.

[Thithili]

Oh i love that flower power buddleia
i really want want but i dont know if i have any more room for another buddleia .
maybe i could squeeze one in my front garden

[Jennie]

How good have people found Buddleia as an attractant for Hummingbird Hawk-moths? What other plants work? I have tried Red Valerian but cannot get it to flower here for some reason.

I have an Abelia shrub which is very good for attracting these moths. It is a late flowerer, from mid August to late October (still in flower now). It can get quite large, so has a severe haircut every couple of years or so!

[Susie]

Do you know why type of Abelia, Jennie?

I have an Abelia Chinensis (sp) and it is covered in flowers at the moment but still very small at the moment.

[geniculata]

hi susie,

id guess, grandiflora which is a chinensis x uniflora hybrid and can grow to about ten feet if you let it.
it seems to attract nymphalids quite well, along with humming birds hawks in my experience.

gary.

[Jennie]

Yep, that's the one!

[Susie]

Thanks, Gary. I have both a grandiflora and the original chinensis. I have read that grandiflora is better for bees and chinensis is better for butterflies but have yet to see this proven.

[geniculata]

hi susie,

can't say that i would have personally seen any evidence of this and as gradiflora is usually the more common and readily planted of the two in the gardens that i tend locally, all i can say is that ive seen red admiral, comma, small torts and also brimstone use grandiflora, as also bees will and that if ive seen humming bird hawk in these gardens with particularly large examples of it in, they usually will visit any lavandula and verbena bonariensis first but will end up spending some time on the grandiflora before leaving the garden.
As you have examples of both grandiflora and chinensis together in your own garden what is your own experience?

gary.

[Susie]

Both plants were bought last winter and as they are still tiny I don't have any experiences with them to add at the moment.

[Charles Nicol]

I have just planted three buddleias

globosa ( yellow )

lochinch ( blue with orange bits )

black knight ( deep purple... like the band )

they cost about £6 each from River Lane Nurseries in Brampton Cambs.

The globosa will have gorgeous orange-yellow flowers. It is in the best location ~ where our compost heap was, at the meeting of two fences, facing south.

I am really looking forward to seeing the butterflies enjoying these bushes.



Charles

[Susie]

Sounds like you have some lovely plants there, and the globosa will flower much earlier than the other two and so extend the flowering season.

It is a bit different to look after than the normal davidii so you might want to look up pruning, etc,. before you cut it back. (sorry if you know all this already).

Do you have a weyeriana? Its a cross between the globosa and davidii and flowers from mid summer right into late autumn if you are lucky. It's a cracker of a plant and one of my favourites.

[Susie]

http://www.amentsoc.org/publications/bu ... dleia.html

This is a nice little article in praise of the weyeriana.

[Charles Nicol]

hi Susie

thanks for the buddleja ( ) tips !! i'm not sure if my globosa is a hybrid... i'm sure it will be lovely anyway

I will post some pics when it starts to flower... hopefully with lots of butterflies on board.

ttfn

Charles

[Susie]

I've never seen a weyeriana in a garden centre (although you can get them by mail order) so I expect your globasa is exactly that (also known as the chilean orange ball tree). They are lovely plants. I look forward to seeing your photos

[bogtrotter]

hi denise prune very hard in march.just watch out for frost when doing any pruning.i know some people who prune hard after the flowering season.i'm up here in yorks.it is a very hardy shrub and will take some beating to attract butterflies and all other insects.regards

[Denise]

Many thanks bogtrotter. I plan to prune them over the weekend when we have got past this cold spell.

Cheers, Denise

[Susie]

I'm not sure if this has been covered before but does anyone know the best way to feed buddleia? I want a really good show from them this year and wonder if there is any particular type of fertiliser that will work well (BTW I only use organic products).

[Jack Harrison]

I never feed. Look at all those specimens on roadsides, railways tracks, etc - they are never fed yet flower superbly.

Jack

[Susie]

Ahhhh, but how much better could they be if they were, Jack