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Buddleja alternifolia is a fast-growing, deciduous shrub and part of the Scrophulariaceae family of plants. They also call it the Buddleia alternifolia, Alternate-leaved Butterfly Bush, Fountain Butterfly Bush, or Weeping Butterfly Bush. It is native to Gansu, China.
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), the Swedish botanist, named the genus Buddleja, after Reverend Adam Buddle (1660-1715), the English botanist. However, today they sometimes spell the name Buddleia, nevertheless, the correct spelling is with a “j”. The pronunciation with either spelling is the same. B. alternifolia species was first described in 1880 by Karl Maximovich (1827-1891), a Russian botanist.
Buddleja alternifolia is multi-stemmed with arching branches. It can grow to about 4m or 13ft. The foliage is grayish-green and lance-shaped. They are alternate, lanceolate, and glabrous. This species flowers in late spring or summer. It produces long flower slides from the previous year’s leaf axils. The flowers grow in clusters, they are purple-colored and fragrant.
How to grow Buddleja alternifolia:
Grow Buddleja alternifolia in the sun or partial shade. Plant in average, moist, but well-drained soil. Placing it in the sun produces more flowers. It will tolerate poor and dry soils. Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings. Prune it after flowering. Buddleja alternifolia flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, but it is deer-resistant.
Also read about Buddleja davidii or Buddleja, Buddleia, or Butterfly Bush.
