About

Buddleja davidii Magda's Gold Knight ('Elstb1') is a deciduous shrub characterized by its tidy, variegated foliage featuring golden-yellow and green hues. This plant produces fragrant, deep purple blooms that appear in abundance during the summer and autumn months. It serves as an important resource for pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. For optimal growth and flowering, it is recommended to undertake a hard pruning in the spring.

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, Partial shade
Soil type
Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moisture
Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
Aspect
East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
Exposure
Exposed, Sheltered
UK hardiness
H6

Plant details

Plant type
Shrubs
Habit
Bushy
Foliage
Deciduous
Height
1.5-2.5 metres
Spread
1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height
5-10 years
Suggested uses
City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Wildlife gardens
Fragrance
Flower

Care notes

Cultivation
Grow in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. See buddleja cultivation for more detailed advice
Pruning
Pruning group 6
Propagation
Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn and winter
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