The MGS Forum

Plants for mediterranean gardens => Trees and Shrubs => Topic started by: MikeHardman on November 11, 2011, 06:51:41 PM

Title: Buddleja
Post by: MikeHardman on November 11, 2011, 06:51:41 PM
I think it is about time Buddleja had a mention here.

I grow some B. davidii/officinalis, but they haven't done very well for me (but they are in a bed where several plants are not flourishing - yet). So I would like to grow these better; I have seen some vigorous specimens in gardens nearby.

But it seems that, out of the many species, there are other species worth trying in med. climates.
Here's one I had never heard of until I stumbled across it today: B. marrubifolia. It has a similar stature to Leucophyllum frutescens, for example, and small grey-green leaves, but small orange flowers. Maybe my painted ladies and red admirals would be interested in these flowers. As it is, they show little interest in my B. davidii; they are more intent on chasing passers-by and basking in the sun.
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Buddleia_marrubifolia.html (http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Buddleia_marrubifolia.html)

That web site has a very interesting list of other xeriscape plants; reflecting the ones it grows in its own xeriscape garden.
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/xeri_plantlist.html (http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/xeri_plantlist.html)
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: Michel GAUTIER on November 11, 2011, 07:34:57 PM
Mike, I tried to cultivate B. marrubifolia in the Var. I tried two or three times, and every time the young plant died ! It seems rather difficult to cultivate here (too much rain in automn and spring ?), but I was never able to know why. I am very interested in growing advices about it. Its very interesting  because it decorates with flowers the winter at a moment when there are few flowers, and have a beautiful foliage.

There are other buddleja very interesting in my garden : B. officinalis with a fantastic scented in winter (it blooms about january, february), B. myriantha (beautiful blue flowers with a grey green foliage, almost grey white in full sun in summer) and B. madagascariensis wich blooms orange/yellow, like marrubifolia, also in winter/spring. After all, I chose madagascariensis for lack of success with marubifolia.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: ezeiza on November 12, 2011, 03:15:05 AM
I would suggest pure coarse sand mixed with grit as the sole medium, a deep container and individual sowing with no pricking.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: pamela on November 12, 2011, 08:09:05 AM
When is the best time to prune Buddleja in a mediterranean climate? 
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: Michel GAUTIER on November 12, 2011, 03:50:31 PM
Thank y ezeiza, I'll try like that. We shall see ...
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: Michel GAUTIER on November 13, 2011, 01:23:10 PM
To answer Pamela, here is when and how I prune my Buddelja :

- Buddleja officinalis blooms in south of France between january and march, according to weather. I prune it between april an june, but not after. The new branches are going to grow during the summer, and buds begin to appears on this new branches in automn, from october if the weather is soft. B. officinalis is a shrub of 3 m tall in my garden, and I prune it to keep in this proportions. So, I prune hard, and reduce until about 2 meters/ 2,5 meters. It's largely sufficient.

- Buddelja myriantha is much lower, and form a beautiful round busch of less of 1 meter. I prune it very softly, only the extremity of branches, only to eliminate the faded flowers. I do that in september or october, when I have the time, and it form fast new foliage grey white in full sun.

- Buddleja madagascariensis is very differents. In a first time, I pruned it at the end of spring, and very hard because I wanted keep it not too tall. It's impossible ! This buddleja is very vigourous and grows in a muddled way. I transplanted it this year at spring, and I intented to let it grow in tree without cutting. We shall see ...

There is an other shrub so interesting wich seem strangely to Buddleja davidii : Vitex agnus castus. It blooms blue, like Buddleja daviddi, but it is not a buddleja (family : Verbenaceae), and it attracts also the butterflies and much other insects. I think it's very important for the variety of the ecosystem of our gardens.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: Umbrian on November 14, 2011, 05:52:27 PM
Re your mention of Vitex Agnus Castus Michel, you will find a lot of interesting posts about this subject in the Our Gardens section.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: pamela on November 15, 2011, 10:02:23 AM
Thank you very much Michel, thats very helpful information.  I have Buddleja davidii so expect it is to be treated the same as B officinalis.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: Michel GAUTIER on November 15, 2011, 09:42:23 PM
Yes Pamela, you can cut B. davidii like B. officinalis but in automn only because it blooms in summer.

Thank you Umbrian, I have just gone to see the topic on Vitex agnus castus : I returned a few months behind with this beautiful bloom.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: John J on February 28, 2015, 06:22:00 AM
I realise that there has been no activity on this site for over 3 years so perhaps it's time for Buddleja madagascariensis to get a mention again. Our plants grow in a very vigorous and muddled way as Michel so accurately described it back in 2011, but they are providing a bright splash of orange at this time of year. Just a shame about the scent  :(
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: David Dickinson on February 28, 2015, 09:43:35 AM
I can say that B. davidii is not very successful for me in pots on a balcony. It survives for a few years but gets increasingly weaker losing side branches until it dies off. I got B. davidii"buzz", a dwarf variety, last year and it seems to be doing very well. Cuttings, however, have not struck which in my experience is very unusual for Buddlejas

Buddleja madagascariensisis now in its 3rd year and still going strong. I would recommend that to balcony owners for winter colour. Scent is not its best feature but, at least my specimen, doesn't produce a strong scent and is only unpleasant if you get up really close.

Over Christmas I picked up 2 Buddlejas which I am giving a go. B Salvifolia and B. Glomerata. Does anybody have experience of these, especially as pot plants?
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: Fermi on March 06, 2015, 04:34:04 AM
I can say that B. davidii is not very successful for me in pots on a balcony. It survives for a few years but gets increasingly weaker losing side branches until it dies off. I got B. davidii"buzz", a dwarf variety, last year and it seems to be doing very well.
I szee that David Glenn's Lambley Nursery near Ballarat in Victoria have released 4 varieties of "Buzz" Buddleja in the latest catalogue http://lambley.com.au/perennial-catalogue?items_per_page=25 (http://lambley.com.au/perennial-catalogue?items_per_page=25)
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: David Dickinson on March 06, 2015, 11:56:13 AM
Thanks Fermi. I will keep my eye open for their arrival in Italy. There are a few plant shows coming up in the spring so fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: Hilary on June 01, 2015, 09:35:22 AM
Buddleja salviifolia
Seen growing in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: John J on February 26, 2020, 09:58:17 AM
Five years ago I posted about our Buddleja madagascariensis. It's still going strong and is now in full bloom. Nice from a distance but the smell is a bit pungent close to. Fortunately the butterflies don't seem to mind.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: MikeHardman on February 26, 2020, 09:53:21 PM
Looks very healthy, John.
Funnily enough, I passed one of these in Tala today. It was among a densely shrubby area, but in full flower it still took my attention momentarily while I was driving.
//Mike
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: David Dickinson on February 27, 2020, 02:42:58 AM
My Buddleja madagascariensis flowers all winter too so it is a useful plant for a little bit of colour over the coldest months. When it is warmer and sunnier during the winter, the Red Admirals like to come out of hibernation and head straight to it for a little sustenance.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: David Dickinson on February 27, 2020, 02:24:49 PM
A Red Admiral arrived just on cue today - albeit on a dead flower of Buddleja madagascariensis (Photo not top quality but you get the idea :-))
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: David Dickinson on August 29, 2020, 09:42:46 PM
I mentioned in another thread that some plants are struggling this year. All of my buddlejas have been attacked by red spider mite. I am pretty certain that I will see no regrowth from 'Miss Ruby'. I have a cutting and an almost identical and better flowering overgrown Buddleja 'Buzz' (supposedly a patio form but just as tall as the others). So I shouldn't be too worried. But I don't like losing plants.

A cutting from 'Black Knight' will probably take 'Miss Ruby's" place and should look good with the white lantana I recently bought. 'Black Knight is currently with a yellow bidens. This is the second flower 'Black Knight' has produced despite being a new cutting this year. And also despite the fact that in my clumsiness I snapped it almost back to ground level earlier this year. It too has Red Spider Mite but Neem oil seems to be working.
Title: Re: Buddleja
Post by: David Dickinson on August 29, 2020, 09:53:01 PM
I should have written above that all of my buddlejas except B madagascariensis are suffering with Red Spider Mite. B madagascariensis always does very well for me and gives winter flowers.