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Which Red Buddleia?

NoSlugsPleaseNoSlugsPlease Posts: 120
in Plants
Hi all, I've seen photos of buddleias with red flowers and am keen to get one. The online nurseries only seem to stock buddleia "Royal Red" which seems more purple than red but I have not actually seen any myself. There's also a photo of a red buddleia in this month's Gardener's World (page 93, Drought Garden) but it doesn't say which variety it is. Has anyone planted/seen one of these and what do you think of the colour?

Thanks.

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Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    I've never seen a real red. Maybe red Buddleias are like blue Roses, you need a bit of imagination to see them.


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    And photos can be misleadingly edited, or taken with a filter on the camera. Pictures of Royal Red on the internet range from true red to pinky magenta purple and I know which I think is probably closer to the truth. Maybe write to the magazine and ask which variety it is?
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    I have Miss Ruby which is one of the smaller bush variety which is quite dark.
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    I've grown Buddleia 'Royal Red'.. One of the few plants that actually was red.  I found it grew tall, lanky and rather sparse, and the flower season was all too brief.  One of the few plants I gave away to a friend who was willing to take it..
    East Anglia, England
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    floralies said:
    I have Miss Ruby which is one of the smaller bush variety which is quite dark.
    We also have Miss Ruby … very floriferous and a good shade of magenta, but not what I’d call ‘red’ …. and I’m a painter and I’ve studied colour 🎨 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    We’ve got Sugar Plum - a pinkish red.  Not as vigorous as the others we grow, but makes a nice contrast to the blue and purple ones. 
  • WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,960
    Following, I was going to post a similar question. I love my ordinary lilac one but would like a different colour for variety. There's also a "black" one (dark purple) that looks nice in the photos...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    @WhereAreMySecateurs I grew Black Knight for a couple of years, obviously the flowers aren't black, but they were a very dark purple. I liked it, but sadly it had to go as l just didn't have the room.
    I have a white one that was given to me by a neighbour. It looks like an explosion in a fireworks factory and is particularly striking at dusk.
  • NoSlugsPleaseNoSlugsPlease Posts: 120
    Thanks for the replies, everyone. Looks like my options are Miss Ruby or Sugar Plum, whichever I can get hold of.
    @Marlorena , a lanky buddleia with a short flowering season sounds like the worst of all worlds; not surprised you gave it away. @JennyJ - I thought of writing to the magazine but was afraid the *real* questions I want to ask ("Would you say it is actually red or magenta or fuschia? Is that the real colour or just the result of your camera filters or photoshop?") might get me blacklisted as a nuisance. :D
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Another option would be to ask local garden centres whether they'll be having any in stock when they're in flower, they you'd be able to see them "in the flesh" before choosing.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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