Buddleias have been popular for many years but the notoriety of the wild buddleia that has become a major weed problem has tarnished their reputation.


Buddleja madagascariensis or orange buddleia is a big sprawling yellow/orange flowering shrub that you certainly don’t want in a garden.

However, the new hybrids are fabulous and flower all summer.

There is a new selection of dwarf buddleias in the Buzz series that only grow to 1m in height and are perfect for the smaller garden. They flower nearly all year and come in white, pink, mauve and purple, all of them with a beautiful perfume.

Buddleias love full sun or dappled light, are not at all fussy about soil type and just need an application of slow-release fertiliser every three months. Prune back hard in spring to keep them compact and maintaining larger flowers.

Buddleias are known as the butterfly bush because they attract butterflies and, of course, this means they get eaten by caterpillars. It’s only for a short time and it means you will have the joy of butterflies in the garden, so I wouldn’t even bother to control them.

Buzz buddleias also look great in a pot and will continually flower throughout the year.


Varieties:

•Buzz Ivory — Ivory coloured flowers on brush- like stems. Blooms are perfumed and attractive to butterflies, small birds and insects.

•Buzz Sky Blue — Stunning sky-blue flowers that contrast beautifully with the grey/green foliage.

•Buzz Velvet — Cerise pink flowers on a compact bush with grey foliage.

•Buzz Purple — Large purple flowers on brush-like stems on upright growth.

 

© The West Australian

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