About

Buddleja crispa is a deciduous shrub that typically reaches heights of about 3 meters. It features oval leaves with deep serrations, which emit a pleasant fragrance when they are young. The stems have a distinctive arching habit and are densely covered in white, felt-like hairs. From mid to late summer, this plant produces racemes of small, pale lavender-pink flowers, each with a white eye, that are also fragrant.

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
West-facing, South-facing
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness
H4

Plant details

Plant type
Shrubs
Habit
Spreading branched
Foliage
Deciduous
Height
2.5-4 metres
Spread
2.5-4 metres
Time to full height
5-10 years
Suggested uses
City and courtyard gardens, Mediterranean climate plants, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden
Native to
Himalaya
Fragrance
Flower, Foliage

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 6. May be pruned hard back in spring as flowers on current season's growth
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