Buddleia: with advances in breeding, the world does need another buddleia

摘要

Butterfly bushes are taking over the world. A July 2011 garden visit to England provided the impetus to cobble this story together. Buddleia davidii seedlings, primarily lavender, are in abundance in the chalky (limestone) soils in the south of England, particularly Hampshire, where Bonnie and I spent most of our vacation. A daily walk along the Test Way had us in the shadows of 15-foot high Buddleia. A visit to the national Buddleia collection at Longstock Park, just north of Stockbridge, prompted the question . . . Does the world need another Buddleia? Apparently, the answer is yes, for Peter Moore, plant breeder extraordinaire and curator of the collection. He is currently expanding the planting area and has added many of the newer introductionsincluding Denny Werner's 'Miss Molly,' 'Miss Ruby,' 'Blue Chip,' the Buzz series and many others. I commented about a deep saturated blue, 'Griffin Blue,' with 12-inch long panicles growing in the collection. I mentioned to Peter that I found it as a self-sown seedling in Griffin, Ga. He said it really was not that impressive.