Buddleja davidii Funky Fuchsia - Butterfly Bush

Buddleja davidii 'Funky Fuchsia' is a variety prized for its large reddish-pink conical panicles that open to dark fuchsia pink! It is a deciduous bush with a rounded and erect habit, reaching about 2 m (7 ft) in all directions at maturity. Its airy clump is adorned with dark green lanceolate leaves with a greyish underside. From July to August, it bears its richly coloured flowering, which has the advantage of being fragrant, honey-producing, and perpetual if one takes care to remove its faded flowers as they appear. It is a hardy and robust plant that prefers full sun positions and well-drained soil. Its generous flowering and compact dimensions make it a choice bush for the back of a flower bed or container planting to bring strong colours to the terrace!

Buddleja davidii 'Funky Fuchsia' is an American selection by Michael Dirr of Plant Introductions Inc., which stands out for its long panicles with flowers initially reddish-pink in bud and then dark fuchsia pink, and its more erect habit than the species. It is a medium-sized variety with a ball-shaped habit. Belonging to the Scrophulariaceae (Buddlejaceae) family, this bush is derived from Buddleja davidii, also known as Father David's buddleja or Changing Buddleja, a robust Chinese species.

'Funky Fuchsia' will reach its maximum adult size of 2.5 m (8 ft) in all directions within 3 or 4 years. It produces numerous upright branches with dark green leaves with a greyish underside. The leaves, 12 to 20 cm (5 to 8 in) long, are pointed and lanceolate in shape. This deciduous foliage is absent in winter, except in mild climates. This variety blooms abundantly from July to September. The flower panicles are 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) long and carried by straight and vigorous branches. These flowers are reddish-pink, then dark fuchsia pink with a small orange eye and release a sweet fragrance reminiscent of honey, which is highly sought after by pollinating insects. The flowers contain substances collected by pollinating insects that will transform them into honey. This very hardy bush resists urban pollution very well and does not suffer from occasional drought when planted in deep soil. When grown in containers, it will require frequent watering and regular fertiliser applications.

Whether planted alone or in groups, at the corner of the house, on a dry slope, or in a flower border, Buddleja davidii 'Funky Fuchsia' will enliven the garden throughout the summer and into early autumn. Its long and intense violet summer flowering blends perfectly with other bushes and perennials in a mass of pink, mauve, and white flowers (phlox, echinaceas), and with grey and silver foliage of artemisias, salvias, and epimediums. Its flowering offers strong contrasts with the golden foliage of choisya. This moderate-growing variety is also suitable for container cultivation in smaller gardens but is even more impressive in a free hedge with weigelas, other buddlejas, or to add a freer structure to a strict and colourless corner of the garden. It adapts well to coastal areas and thrives in any well-drained garden soil. Its pleasantly scented flowers are also very attractive in bouquets.