Buddleja delavayi - Butterfly Bush

Buddleia delavayi is a rarely cultivated wild butterfly tree that deserves a place of honour in the garden of a collector and lover of fragrant plants. This beautiful bush charms with the scent of honey and rose from its clusters of pink-lilac flowers. It often blooms in late spring in our climates. Theoretically, it will bloom twice a year, with the second flowering in September being more decorative. Moderately hardy, this beautiful deciduous species is grown in open ground and in full sun in mild regions. You can also plant it in a container which can be protected from heavy frost in cold climates.

Originating from the Chinese provinces of Xizang and Yunnan, Buddleja delavayi (synonym B. heliophila) is a sun-loving botanical species, hardy up to -10 to -12°C (14 to 10.4°F) at its coldest). In its native lands, it is found growing on the edge of forests, in valleys, and along mountain trails at an altitude between 2000 and 3000 m (6562 and 9843 ft). It is a deciduous bush that loses its leaves in winter. It belongs to the Scrophulariaceae (buddlejaceae) family. It was introduced into cultivation by the Scottish plant hunter George Forrest in 1910, but remains rare in our gardens.

Its bushy habit is flexible and slightly spreading. It is also elegant thanks to its slightly arched long branches. It grows quite rapidly and reaches approximately 2 m (7 ft) in height and 1.5 m (5 ft) in width at maturity in open ground, slightly less if grown in a pot. Its abundant foliage is composed of elliptical, pointed leaves, 1.5 to 6 cm (1 to 2 in) long, generally with short petioles, showing toothed or smooth edges. Their green colour is masked by a fine grey-blue veil, particularly when they are young. In nature or in favourable climates, this species offers 2 flowerings per year, with a very different appearance: the first in April, consisting of small pink-lilac panicles not exceeding 12 cm (5 in) in diameter, then a second in late summer, taking the form of long clusters of deep salmon-pink colour that can measure up to 25 cm (10 in) in length. The spring flowering is already present in the form of flower buds forming in autumn, protected from the cold by small brown and dry scales. In cooler, temperate climates, the singular flowering occurs in late spring. These inflorescences are composed of quite large multiple tubular flowers, (10 mm (0.4 in) long and 8 mm (0.3 in) wide), with a pink-lilac colour and an orange throat. They emit a strong honey scent, comparable to that of Buddleia officinalis, which blooms in February. They open at the same time at the terminal part of the stems and in the axils of the leaves, on the wood of the previous year.

This buddleia will delight enthusiasts of rare and collectible bushes. You can plant it against a south-facing wall to enjoy its magnificent scent, or mix it with other bushes to create beautiful flowering hedges in mild climates. To create a mixed hedge, choose other buddleias (B. 'Lochinch', B. officinalis, B. alternifolia), and old or English roses (old rose Cuisse de Nymphe Emue and Complicata, English rose Spirit of Freedom). Reblooming dwarf lilacs or summer lilacs make good companions for this beautiful bush. It is superb on terraces and balconies, placed in a pretty container next to a French Cabaret Althea, Pink Chiffon, etc.

This bush produces a good amount of nectar, which will attract certain butterflies. Buddleia or Buddleja comes from the name of its discoverer, Reverend Adam Buddle, an English botanist of the 19th century.