Buddleja ('Morning Mist') SILVER ANNIVERSARY™ butterfly bush, buddleja
Buddleja
Buddleia is better known as butterfly bush. The reason is obvious – from early summer when it starts blooming until early autumn it produces large, scented flowers that attract winged insects, mostly butterflies. If you are not yet aware of how many butterfly species you can get in your part of the world get one buddleia and in a few weeks you can apply for a doctor’s degree in butterflies!
SILVER ANNIVERSARY™ is an attractive buddleia hybrid bred by Peter Moore in 1994 as a cross between b.crispa and b.loricata. It is a deciduous shrub with striking silver, narrowly lance-shaped foliage which resembles Russian olive leaves. Flowers are formed in short panicles. They are creamy white with orange throat, sweetly fragrant, and bloom from early July until late September. Growth is rather symmetrical and dense.
Butterfly bush requires little care. Still, we strongly recommend hard pruning every spring to low permanent framework when buds begin to swell. Plant it in full sun, in well-drained humus-rich soil. It will die in boggy soil after winter. It is hardy to min. -24°C (USDA zone 4) and may survive a few degrees lower in perfectly drained soil. We suggest buying older plants with woody framework for planting in colder areas.
Last update 17-09-2016
