If you want to plant an unusual, beautiful and fragrant plant on your property, but don’t know what to choose from the floristic variety, pay attention to buddleia. You will be enchanted, because the clusters of inflorescences fascinate with their beauty, the heady aroma attracts butterflies, and it blooms in the fall, when there are not so many other beautiful flowers in the garden. Therefore, the plants are often called autumn lilacs. She is beyond competition. Despite its stunning beauty and exotic origin, buddleia care is very simple. The only peculiarity is that the plant is heat-loving. Therefore, we will have to try to provide him with a comfortable and safe winter in our climatic conditions.
Buddleya: description, origin
The plant is native to South Africa, but also to Asia and South America. It was there, at the end of the 17th century, that the English botanist Adam Buddle found buddleia, then an unnamed plant. In those distant times it was not compared to lilac, but the British immediately nicknamed buddleia “magnet for butterflies” and “moth tree”. After all, during flowering it exudes a thick honey aroma, and the largest bright butterflies flock from all over the area to pollinate buddleia flowers.
There are more than one hundred species of buddleia in nature. These include shrubs up to 3 m high and half-meter herbaceous plants.
By the way!
The peculiarity of buddleia is that throughout the flowering period, buds, blossoming flowers and ripened fruits are simultaneously present on its branches. Therefore, it blooms for a long time, all autumn.
You won’t find any number of colors among the sectioned varieties. Red, crimson, yellow, orange, white, lilac, pink... Inflorescence brushes can reach 50 cm. Can you imagine this riot of beauty?
Buddleia flower
The plant is heat-loving, and this could become an obstacle to growing buddleia in our latitudes. However, breeders have developed varieties that can withstand frosts down to -20°C.
History of the formation of culture
The first variants of the plant were brought to England by a botanist named Rene Franchet, who also gave the name after the eighteenth-century scientist Adam Buddleya. This unique garden crop has several names: summer or autumn lilac, honey bush, butterfly bush, because the color attracts many butterflies. Scientists have managed to develop a lot of varieties with inflorescences of various shades. Today there are options with the following names:
- Mongo;
- Nanho Petite Purple;
- Nanho Petite Plum;
- Nanho Petite Indigo.
Buddleia from seeds
Seeds will have to be bought in a specialized store or ordered online. and this is exactly that rare case when you shouldn’t be afraid of imported producers: varieties zoned for Europe are fine here too. You can use your own seeds for planting, if you have them.
Buddleia seeds
Buddleia seeds are very small. They are sown on top of the ground without being incorporated into the soil. To plant, take a container with drainage holes, pour drainage into the bottom, then cover ¾ of the soil. If the seeds are planted on snow, then a thick layer of snow is laid on top of the soil mixture. If planting is done without snow, the seeds are distributed over the surface of the soil and then lightly pressed into the soil. After which the container is covered with glass and placed in a warm, well-lit place, where the temperature is close to +25°C. R
Attention!!!
Crops should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Buddleia seedlings
Buddleia seedlings will sprout after 10-14 days. When the crops sprout, the glass and film are not removed, but only removed for 20-30 minutes for ventilation. Condensation from glass is killed with a rag. The shelter should be removed when the seedlings become stronger and grow. When 2-3 true leaves appear, make a buddleia pick. It is best to transplant seedlings into peat humus pots. To prevent the appearance of blackleg, seedlings are regularly irrigated with a solution of Fitosporin or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Shelter for the winter
The pruned shrub is covered for the winter like roses. If the bush is too spreading, it is carefully tied together with twine, and only after that it is covered with earth, covering the two lower nodes.
A thick layer of withered foliage and spruce branches is laid on top of the mound. In regions with severe winter frosts of more than -20 ° C, they are additionally wrapped in non-woven material.
An exotic shrub of the species Buddleia Davida, planting and caring for which is not particularly difficult for a long time, has become a home in the gardens of lovers of beauty.
Due to its low frost resistance, many gardeners are afraid to purchase it for their gardens. But once you see this waterfall of flowers, surrounded by dancing butterflies, up close, you will certainly be delighted and add this enchanting plant to your garden.
Buddleia: planting in open ground
Before planting buddleia in the garden, the plant must be gradually hardened off. To do this, the seedlings are taken out into the fresh air every day. At first they keep them outside for half an hour, but gradually increase the time the seedlings stay outside.
Buddleya
Buddleia is planted in holes with a depth and width of at least 40 cm. The depth of the hole is calculated based on the size of the horses plus 20 cm.
Advice!!!
You need to choose a place for planting buddleia that is light, preferably lowland, since snow will accumulate in such places, which will protect the roots of the plant from freezing. To prevent water from stagnating here, the soil must be drained - buddleia is afraid of the roots getting wet.
So, we put a drainage layer of 15-20 cm at the bottom of the planting hole. Then compost and mineral fertilizers, since the flower loves nutritious soil with a neutral pH. We pour a small mound of soil substrate and place a seedling in it, which is then covered with soil. We compact the soil and water it. We mulch the soil surface with compost. The root collar of the buddleia should be flush with the soil surface.
On a note!!!
Seedlings are planted at the end of May, beginning of June, when the danger of frost has passed.
Reproduction of buddleia
Budleya is propagated in two ways: seeds and cuttings.
Seed propagation is a very labor-intensive method and requires certain knowledge and skills. Seed propagation should begin in early spring. Seed material must be purchased from nurseries, greenhouses or trusted suppliers.
The purchased material is sown superficially in a container with nutrient soil. The soil is moistened with a spray bottle and covered with polyethylene to create a favorable microclimate. The container with the seed is placed in a warm, bright place, periodically ventilating and watering the soil.
Shoots appear at a temperature of 25 degrees after 3 weeks. When 2-3 leaves appear on the plant, the covering material is removed, and the seedlings are planted in separate pots. A month before planting in open ground, the plant must be hardened off.
Cuttings are prepared during spring pruning . Their length should not be less than 20 cm. All lower buds are removed from the seedling and the plant is treated in Kornevin or Epin solution for better root formation.
The cuttings are planted under a film cover to a depth of 5 cm. After rooting, the film is removed. Rooting can be determined by the formation of young leaves and new shoots. Prepared seedlings are planted with a clod of earth in open ground a month after rooting.
Buddleia care after planting
Caring for Buddleia is quite simple. Water it only in dry summers. For one plant, 10 liters of warm settling water is used for a single watering. Buddleia grows quickly and can grow 2-meter stems in one season.
In the first year of growing season, you will need 2 feedings - in the summer and in early autumn, before flowering. Nitrogen should predominate in the first feeding, and potassium and phosphorus in the second.
Pruning Buddleia
It is necessary to regularly trim Buddleia so that the stems do not stretch and the bush has an attractive appearance. And the flowering will be abundant and the trusses will be lush if the plants are trimmed in a timely manner. It is necessary to cut off faded and faded inflorescences, so the buddleia will have more strength to develop and form new flowers.
As for wintering, you will definitely have to make a serious shelter for buddleia. After the end of autumn flowering, low-growing varieties are pruned so that 30 cm of the stem remains above the soil surface. For tall varieties, leave 90 cm, but no more. The stems are bent to the ground, carefully covered with sawdust, spruce branches, fallen leaves and covered with spunbond. In winter, throw more snow on the shelter
Important!!
Don't forget to open your buddleia in early spring and check its condition. Surely she will wake up early so that over the summer she has time to accumulate strength for a long and beautiful autumn flowering.
Buddleia seeds
Seeds from the bush are collected after they are fully ripe. As a rule, this time falls in September or October. However, the seeds that you collect yourself will need to be prepared for a long time before sowing, but this does not guarantee that they will germinate well. In this regard, experienced gardeners recommend buying buddleia seeds rather than collecting them.
Fertilizer
Buddleia can and should be fertilized several times a season. The first feeding is done after winter, during the appearance of buds. This requires fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.
The next feeding is carried out in the summer, when the flowering season begins. During this period, the plant needs phosphorus and potassium - they stimulate flowering and growth. In the remaining time, you can use organic fertilizers - humus, compost slurry, ash.
Buddleia: pests
Buddleia is most often damaged by whiteflies and spider mites. The plant is especially susceptible to attack by pests in hot, dry weather. If pests have attacked the plant, the affected parts are cut off and the bush is treated with an insecticidal agent.
Buddleia is resistant to diseases and pests, which is why problems with it rarely arise when growing a flowering shrub in the garden.
A method for lazy people
The third method of propagating Buddleia Davida is the easiest and most reliable. Select a young shoot at the base of the bush and carefully bend it to the ground. The middle part of the branch is sprinkled with soil and secured with a bracket or brick.
The next year the plant can be transplanted to a new location.
Buddleia: varieties
In mid-latitudes, several species of this flower can grow, but David's Buddleja (Buddleja davidii) is very popular, also called the variable Buddleia. Wilson's buddleia is also often grown. The flowers of this plant are lilac-pink and can reach a length of 0.75 m. Buddleia Wicha is also popular. She's taller. And beautiful buddleia amazes with bright purple-pink inflorescences that are large and fluffy.
Buddleja davidii
The height of the bush reaches 2-3 m. This plant can be a small tree (height 5 m) with drooping branches. Buddleia Davida grows quickly. The leaves are lanceolate-oval in shape and have a pointed tip at the top. On the front side they are dark green, and on the back side they are yellowish-white with dense pubescence. Their length is about 25 cm. The spike-shaped inflorescences consist of purple flowers with a pronounced honey aroma. The length of the inflorescences can be up to 40 cm. Flowering begins at the end of August. Buddleia Davida blooms for about 6 weeks; planting it in gunt was described above.
The most popular varieties include:
- Alba, White Cloud and White Proffusion - have white flowers;
- Empire Blue, Black Knight - flowers are painted in various shades of purple;
- Royal Red, Harlequin - flowers can be different shades of red.
Buddleja albiflora
The shrub has wide cone-shaped inflorescences, colored light lilac or white. The plant can grow up to 6 m in height. The corolla is lilac, pale lilac or white in color, the throat is orange, and is equipped with a tube up to 0.8 cm long. The white-flowered buddleia flower blooms in July. Flowering is abundant and long lasting. Frost resistance is average, plants can withstand frosts down to -23 degrees.
Snowy Buddleja (Buddleja nivea)
On the surface of the stems and leaves of this deciduous shrub there is a thick felt pubescence. The paniculate inflorescences are painted lilac, the inflorescences are up to 15 cm long. The shrub grows up to 3 m high. Snowy buddleia blooms in June-July for 25-30 days. Ideal for growing in countries with warm climates. Suitable for cultivation in the southern regions of Russia.
Japanese Buddleja (Buddleja japonica)
This shrub grows quickly. The length of the drooping panicle-shaped light purple inflorescences is about 20 centimeters. Buddleia japonica blooms in May–June. It is used in group and single plantings, suitable for sunny and wind-protected places.
Buddleja alternifolia
The shrub is drought-resistant. It is often grown as a tree, with the crown shaped like a weeping willow. The small inflorescences include lilac or lilac-pinkish flowers with an almond scent.
Buddleja globosa
This shrub is semi-evergreen. Flowering occurs in May. The spherical inflorescences are golden-orange. Cultivated only in the southern regions.
Buddleja stenostachya
Deciduous shrub growing up to 3 m high. It has a spreading crown. Its shoots are slightly curved and covered with gray-green bark. Leaves are alternate, narrowly lanceolate, over 6 cm long.
The flowers are small, purple or lilac, fragrant, collected in loose long panicles. Like buddleia ternifolia, flower buds are formed on last year's shoots. Flowering is long-lasting, abundant, and occurs in May-June.
When grown in central Russia, the fruits rarely ripen, since the plant does not tolerate frost. The culture is not winter-hardy. But it can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees. It often freezes out in the cold season, but in the spring it recovers and grows to its previous size, although it may not bloom.
Buddleia is a charming flower that can become a real decoration of the autumn garden.
Dress tailcoat
The leaves of Buddleia Davida of several hybrid varieties, matching the flowers, sport interesting white and green patterns.
The leaves usually grow in pairs, one against the other. The elongated shape of the leaf gives the bush sophistication. The plates, serrated along the edge, are smooth on top; the bottom of buddleia leaves is always pubescent, to a greater or lesser extent.
Buddleia Davida shrub reproduces in three ways:
- Sowing seeds.
- By cuttings.
- By layering.
