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Buddleia Conundrum

slennighanslennighan Posts: 6
in Plants
Hi, can anyone tell me how it’s possible to have a buddleia davidii last year and then the flowers that have appeared this year are that of a globuleux orange ball !?!
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Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Did it actually flower last year and if so, what colour were they.

    There is a variety with as you say, globular orange flowers.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • slennighanslennighan Posts: 6
    Hi, I’ve had these 3 large buddleia for a few years now. Last year two of the 3 which have the long purple flowers didn’t flower, but this year one of the 2 look to be the glososa variety. Totally baffled how the the same plant produce totally different flowers both in shape and colour. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Did all 3 show the long purple flowers ever? 
    If not,  what may have happened is that you were sent an Orange Ball by mistake and you’ve been pruning them all the same in the Spring,  thus cutting of the flowering growth.  
    Do you think this may have happened because there’s no way one of them could change like that.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • slennighanslennighan Posts: 6
    My thoughts exactly but it has changed. 
  • WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,960
    It's not possible.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree … not possible. @Lyn ‘s explanation sounds the most likely. 

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





  • slennighanslennighan Posts: 6
    Thank you for your comments. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd agree with @Lyn as well. It can't possibly change to another type of buddleia, they're completely different plants.  :)
    Pruning is probably the reason as they get pruned at different times. Globosas are done after flowering as they flower on old wood - ie the branches/stems produced the previous year, davidiis etc are pruned early in the year as they flower on the new wood.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    That’s what I was trying to explain @Fairygirl.  I’m not that good with putting things into words. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    It's just about plausible that there might have been more than one cutting in the pot of one when you bought it, and one was a B. globosa. Have a close look and trace back the branches of the orange-flowered B. globosa right down to soil level, and see if there's another stem/trunk that doesn't have any orange flowers.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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