Buddleja delavayi
Encyclopedia
Buddleja delavayi is an unremarkable Chinese species discovered by Forrest
in the Tali Range above Dali (2000 – 2500 m elevation), Yunnan
, in 1910. The sole horticultural distinction of the shrub lies in its ability to flower in both the spring and autumn.
shrub
resembling the commoner B. davidii
in many respects, notably its leaves, being thin, glabrous and narrowly elliptical. The flowers, which first appear in April, are rose-lilac in colour, heavily honey-scented, and borne in loose panicles < 25 cm long. The buds of the spring flowers are formed in autumn, and protected from frost by small dry brown scales to resemble to those of the Cherry
, and unique within the genus.
by J. C. Williams, and later at Kew. The shrub is included in the NCCPG National Collection held by the Longstock Park
Nursery, near Stockbridge
, Hampshire
.
George Forrest (botanist)
George Forrest was a Scottish botanist, who was one of the first explorers of China's then remote southwestern province of Yunnan, generally regarded as the most biodiverse province in the country....
in the Tali Range above Dali (2000 – 2500 m elevation), Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, in 1910. The sole horticultural distinction of the shrub lies in its ability to flower in both the spring and autumn.
Description
B. delavayi is a deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
resembling the commoner B. davidii
Buddleja davidii
Buddleja davidii , also called summer lilac, butterfly-bush, or orange eye, is a native of Sichuan and Hubei provinces in central China and of Japan. It is widely used as an ornamental plant, and many named varieties are in cultivation. B...
in many respects, notably its leaves, being thin, glabrous and narrowly elliptical. The flowers, which first appear in April, are rose-lilac in colour, heavily honey-scented, and borne in loose panicles < 25 cm long. The buds of the spring flowers are formed in autumn, and protected from frost by small dry brown scales to resemble to those of the Cherry
Prunus avium
Prunus avium, commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, bird cherry, or gean, is a species of cherry, native to Europe, west Turkey, northwest Africa, and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Trondheimsfjord region in Norway and east to the Caucasus, and...
, and unique within the genus.
Cultivation
Introduced to the UK at about the time of the First World War, B. delavayi was raised at Caerhays CastleCaerhays Castle
Caerhays Castle is a semi-castellated manor house located south of St Michael Caerhays, a village in Cornwall, England. It is situated overlooking Porthluney Cove on the English Channel...
by J. C. Williams, and later at Kew. The shrub is included in the NCCPG National Collection held by the Longstock Park
Longstock Park
Longstock Park is a country estate in the civil parish of Longstock in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. Formerly Longstock Manor, of medieval origins, it was purchased by Sir Joshua East in the nineteenth century. On his death, the estate passed to his sons Alfred and Arthur. In...
Nursery, near Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Hampshire
Stockbridge is a small town and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has an acreage of and a population of little under 600 people according to the 2001 census in Hampshire, England. It lies on the River Test, in the Test Valley district and renowned for trout fishing. The A30 road goes through...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Suppliers
B. delavayi is in commerce in the UK; suppliers can be found using the RHS Plantfinder http://apps.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/pfregions.asp?ID=28083.Literature
- Bean, W. J. (1970). Trees & Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, 8th ed., Vol. 1.. (2nd impression 1976) London
- Brown, R. (ex C. Martius). (1996). Loganiceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) Flora of China, Vol. 15. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA. ISBN 10-193-072340-15 vol. 15 (1996): online at www.efloras.org
- Hillier's Manual of Trees & Shrubs, 5th ed.. (1990). David & Charles, Newton Abbot.
- Krüssmann, G. (1984). Manual of Cultivated Broad-leaved Trees & Shrubs, Vol. 1. Engl. transl. London, 1984.
- Leeuwenberg, A. J. M. (1979) The Loganiaceae of Africa XVIII Buddleja L. II, Revision of the African & Asiatic species. H. Veenman & Zonen B. V., Wageningen, Netherlands.
- Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (1989). Shrubs, Pan Books, London.
- Stuart, D. (2006). Buddlejas. Timber Press, Oregon, USA. ISBN=9780881926880