Description
Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ is a striking deciduous shrub that is valued for its beautiful, fragrant, and richly-colored flowers. The plant produces long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves that are a gray-green color. In the summer, it produces large clusters of fragrant, deep reddish-purple flowers that are highly attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. The flowers are followed by small, brown seed pods. ‘Royal Red’ is an excellent choice for adding interest to a mixed border or as a specimen plant. The plant is relatively low-maintenance and disease-resistant, making it a popular choice among gardeners. It can be pruned in the spring to promote healthy growth and maintain its shape. The shrub can also be propagated by softwood or hardwood cuttings.
Key Facts
- Common Name(s):Butterfly bush ‘Royal Red’
- Hardiness:Fully hardy
- How big will I get? Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ can grow to a height of 3m and a spread of 3m.
- Did You Know That:Buddleja are named after the Reverend Adam Buddle?
Plant Calendar
A rough guide to how this plant will change through the year.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Flowering Time | ||||||||||||
Foliage Colour |
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
Care Guide
Soil Requirements
Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ is a versatile plant and can cope with wet or drier soils, but prefers there to be decent drainage. This plant can grow in soil with a wide range of pH levels, it is not picky about the pH level of the soil.
Best Position
Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ can handle either an exposed or a sheltered position and can cope with either full sun or partial shade.
Maintenance
Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ flower on fresh growth and therefore benefit from being cut back hard in early Spring removing almost all the previous years growth and buildling a low woody framework of branches from which the plant can regrow. This prevents you from having large woody sections of the plant that produce very few flowers, with flowers only produced right at the top of the plant.
Pest, Diseases and Wildlife
Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ can have problems with aphids, capsid bugs and caterpillars, it can be vulnerable to certain diseases such as honey fungus and leaf spot. It is also known to attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. It is not considered to be toxic.