Kingdom Plantae Family Buddlejaceae Scientific name Buddleja albiflora | Order Lamiales Genus Buddleja Rank Species | |
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Similar Buddleja nivea, Buddleja forrestii, Buddleja delavayi, Buddleja macrostachya, Buddleja fallowiana | ||
Buddleja albiflora is a deciduous shrub native to the mountains of central China, where it grows on shrub-clad slopes at altitudes of between 1,000 and 2,000 m. Named rather carelessly by Hemsley, the species was discovered by Henry, and introduced to western cultivation by Wilson in 1900.
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Description
B. albiflora grows to a height of 4 m in the wild, the branches erect and glabrous. The leaves are narrow lanceolate, with a long-tapered point and wedge-shaped base, 10–22 cm long by 1–6 cm wide, toothed and dark-green, glabrous above in maturity, but covered beneath with a fine silvery-grey felt. The shrub is similar to B. davidii, but has rounded stems, as opposed to the four-angled of the latter. Despite its specific name, the fragrant flowers are actually pale lilac with orange centres, borne as slender panicles 20–45 cm long by 5 cm wide at the base; they are considered inferior to those of B. davidii and thus the plant is comparatively rare in cultivation. B. albiflora is hexaploid: 2n = 114.
Cultivation
The shrub is fully hardy in the UK, and features in the NCCPG National Collection of Buddleja held by the Longstock Park Nursery, near Stockbridge. Hardiness: USDA zones 6–9.