About
Buddleja colvilei is a robust, either deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub or small tree that can reach heights of up to 6 meters. It features elongated, narrow leaves that are dark green in color. In early summer, it produces clusters of small flowers that hang down in tight sprays, measuring up to 20 centimeters in length, and exhibit shades of dark red or dark pink.
About the genus
Buddleja comprises evergreen and deciduous shrubs, and in some cases, it can also be found as small trees or scrambling climbers. The foliage consists of simple leaves, and the plants produce clusters of small, tubular flowers that emit a pleasant fragrance.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs, Trees
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 4-8 metres
- Spread
- 4-8 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Gravel garden, Mediterranean climate plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Needs a sunny, sheltered spot with excellent drainage; in areas prone to winter wet, it may be best grown in containers and overwintered in a cool greenhouse. See buddleja cultivation for more detailed advice
- Pruning
- Pruning group 2, or Pruning group 13 for wall-trained plants
- Propagation
- Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids, capsid bugs, caterpillars, earwigs, figwort weevils, glasshouse red spider mite, leaf and bud eelworm, and mullein moth
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus, fungal leaf spot, and virus diseases