About
Buddleja venenifera f. calvescens is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub characterized by its upright to arching branches and oval, dark green foliage that features silvery, woolly undersides. During the summer months, it produces clusters of small, tubular flowers with flared ends, ranging in color from light to dark purple, which emerge at the ends of the stems.
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
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Foliage
- Deciduous, Semi evergreen
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Coastal, City and courtyard gardens, Gravel garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in well-drained soil in full sun with shelter from cold winds. Ideal for wall training on a south-facing wall. See buddleja cultivation for more detailed advice
- Pruning
- Pruning group 6, or Pruning group 13 for wall-trained plants
- Propagation
- Propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn, or by semi-hardwood 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