Buddleia (Butterfly tree)
Butterfly bush
Butterfly bush: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii, is a shrub from China recognised by its long clusters of scented flowers. It belongs to the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. Although sometimes called a butterfly tree, it usually forms a large bush with several woody stems. The alternative name summer lilac describes its appearance rather than a botanical relationship: true lilacs belong to a different genus and generally flower earlier in the year.Its vigorous shoots grow quickly and arch beneath the flower clusters. The long, pointed leaves range from green to grey green, with a paler underside. Their shape and colouring give the foliage a relatively light appearance even when the shrub occupies a substantial space. This is a deciduous plant, so its bare winter framework looks quite different from the leafy branches and crowded flower heads you see in summer.Flowers develop on the current year's shoots, from summer into autumn when the climate and cultivar…
