Once upon a time, when we let the Camps Bay house, the new tenants said – you’ll have to cut that back so we can see the sea! It smells good, honey flowers. Looks good, ‘sage’ leaves. And it grows good – ideal as a screen. So it was on my short list when we moved in here. What shall we plant to cover that wall, the neighbour’s garage, and emergency drain pipe, and twirldry green washing line? Another year should do it!
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| 2008 2009 2010 |
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| May 2009 |
Most of the year, we can enjoy just the leaves. Sage green / silvery grey and graceful.
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| Buddleja salviifolia |
Arranged in alternate pairs, on a square stem. The new leaves come out tightly folded with knife pleats, Bundfalten.
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| Leaf detail |
Common name sagewood, for the most obvious of reasons. A sage that has aspirations to TREEdom.
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| Buddleja leaf collage |
Buddleja’s turn today, because that haze of white you can see, doubling the size of the bush – a bouffant beehive – a Fasnachtsperucke – the neon pink or green wig of a circus clown – is not yet flowers, but a MASS of tightly curled buds. The very first flowers are opening.
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| Buddleja flowers |
Bringing the promise of a trail of honey. Follow your nose to the flowers. We once had a self sown Buddleja with gentle mauve flowers and a most wonderful fragrance. Tried to bring cuttings with us, but they didn’t make it. Comes in any colour, so long as it ranges from white thru to purple.
I only notice now as I write this, that Buddleja is actually written with a J not an I.
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| Buddleja flower detail |
Buddleja and Nuxia share the Loganiaceae family with Strychnos. Curare, nux-vomica and strychnine. But the first two are the White Sheep in the family. Buddleja was named for the Rev. Adam Buddle, an English botanist of the 17th century. 'salviifolia' because the leaves look like Salvia farinacea. Found growing on forest margins, rocky hillsides and stream banks – throughout South Africa and all the way up to tropical Africa. PlantZAfrica says fresh or dried leaves can be used to make tea, but I drink real tea, so haven’t tried this one.
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| Buddleja flowers |
First the flowers draw bees and butterflies, then the birds, in search of lunch. The wood was used to make shafts for assegais (traditional spears) and ‘excellent’ fishing rods. ‘Fast-growing, untidy, prone to insect attacks’ (Unless you are a wildlife gardener, seeking out Those Insects!)
Most commonorgarden Buddlejas (formerly Buddleia) are varieties of Buddleja davidii which comes from China – Kristo Pienaar – The South African What Flower is That? 1984
Pictures by Jurg and Diana, words by Diana of Elephant's Eye
Those stems look as though they would make good fishing rods, but I'm most enchanted by the texture of the leaves. But then again, if I were there, I'm quite certain the fragrance would be most captivating. Thanks for sharing this lovely plant.
ReplyDeleteWow, your spread is looking good. I have some B. davidii, like most do, and they all gow from the ground to 7 feet in one year.
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, what lovely plants your buddleja are. You can see the resemblance to the Buddleja davidii that grow everywhere. I love the pale green in combination with the white flowers. I don't think I've ever seen B. salviifolia on offer here in Germany, but will keep an eye out.
ReplyDeletethanks lovely post and information, I am nosey and clicked on your view profile, went to your other blog, love the post with the daisies and wanted to leave a comment but it would mean me having to sign in to google which I resist, don't do the other thing either as google then gets access to my wordpress account, so I'll say it here I love the flora and fauna in that post, I hadn't realised you were near the coast, must stop writting..... Frances
ReplyDeleteFrances in Scotland - The other blog is the one I use for trying things out (wonderful idea, instead of befuddling your readers while you tweak ...)That post is here http://elephantseyegarden.blogspot.com/2010/08/verlorenvlei-spring-flowers.html Not sure about your problem with commenting, as your comment is here?
ReplyDeleteWe live at the foot of the mountains, about 80 km from the sea.
I had a purple variety of Buddleja at the last house that we (and the butterflies) really enjoyed. I love the white blooms on yours though, and it looks as though yours is more compact, and dense in habit. Ours got rather leggy by summer's end, and would need to be chopped to the ground each winter, or it would look awful come spring.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! We see plenty of B. davidii around here. Just heard a rumor that it's being installed on several of the "invasive" lists. Maybe B. salvifolia is an alternative! I love the salvifolia leaves...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post! I love the silver foliage.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful shrub, with such lovely flowers, and it is doing a great job of screening that fence. I can imagined it covered in bees and butterflies. I really like the leaves; I can almost smell them!
ReplyDeleteAs someone that's never been able to grow any kind of Buddleia whatever, I really must make an effort to source a hardy one. I don't even ask if yours is hardy: it's fuzzy, big, and grows in S.A. Chances are it's a no go in Alaska. Or give me thrill, EE, and tell me it's a zone 3 plant!
ReplyDeleteChristine in Alaska
Christine - they say 'well established plants can withstand frost' but perhaps not exactly Alaska?!
ReplyDeleteWell i did not know this buddleia before. Unlike davidii this one seems to be adaptable to our hot climate. Blooms are very pretty. I guess it attracts as many butterflies as the davidii.
ReplyDeleteI always have in my garden sage-wood,
ReplyDeleteIt smell so nice.
Nice post.
Diana, both the leaves and blooms are really attractive. I like it! Great choice!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that j isn't it? I wonder whether these plants are less or more promiscuous than they are over here? Their seeding capacity makes them a real problem.
ReplyDeleteThis was very informative. I'm not familiar with the plant and thus not sure if we have it in this country. Your macros are fantastic. The details they capture are amazing.
ReplyDeleteBTW We had two planted in the last garden, and in 20 years of gardening I found one wonderful seedling.
ReplyDeleteThis species has been grown in australia since early settlement..understandably as supply ships from the UK stopped off at the Cape for supplies enroute to this fatal shore! The most common form has quite dark green leaves and strong mauve flowers but i have a form with much greyer leaves and it flowers generally about a month earlier than the green form. An incredible tough plant which can take any amount of abuse and will bounce back from a hack to ground level!
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