Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
ShrubsConservatory Greenhouse

Buddleja asiatica
  • RHS AGM

Asian butterfly bush

Tender evergreen shrub about 3m tall, with widely-spaced, dark green leaves 30cm long, felted grey on the undersides. The tiny, white flowers in long, narrow spikes are sweetly scented and appear in late winter and early spring

Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
2.5–4 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring White Green Grey Silver
Summer Green Grey Silver
Autumn Green Grey Silver
Winter White Green Grey Silver
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3
Botanical details
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Genus

Buddleja can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs, occasionally trees or scrambling climbers with simple leaves and panicles of small, tubular fragrant flowers

Name status

Correct

Plant range
E Asia

How to grow

Cultivation

Needs full sun, well-drained soil and a frost-fee location. Ideal for a large conservatory or greenhouse. See buddleja cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Root semi-ripe cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Sub-tropical
  • Conservatory and greenhouse
Pruning

Pruning group 6, or pruning group 13 for wall-trained plants

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, capsid bugs, caterpillars, earwigs, figwort weevils, glasshouse red spider mite, leaf and bud eelworm, and mullein moth

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus, fungal leaf spot, and virus diseases

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.