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My buddleia tree
Maureen caulton
Posts: 5
This year my white buddleia tree has produced a branch out of the main trunk with a purple flower on it. This has never happened before, what is going on. Please help I am mystified.
Maureen Caulton
0
Posts
Does the shrub look as though it has been grafted? Does the purple flowering branch come out of the trunk low down? I've never heard of buddleia being grafted but you never know!
This year my white buddleia tree has produced a branch out of the main trunk with a purple flower on it. This has never happened before, what is going on. I am mystified. Can you throw any light on this mystery please.
No nothing has been grafted on. I have had this tree for about twelve years and nothing like this has happened before. I do have another buddleia not far away which is purple but much darker purple, the stray is very light coloured.
It'll be a bit of reversion Maureen, I'd cut it out as close as you can.
Thanks Dave, can you please explain what reversion means.
The basic buddleja davidii is pale purple. All varieties arise as a mutation from the basic version, and are propagated by cuttings to maintain the different colour. The different coloured bit is another mutation, back to the original type. Ie it reverts to type.
Thanks fidget.
Thanks fidget, does that mean that in time my white buddleia will change back to purple, the mind boggles at the way nature behaves.
Usually they stay one colour. As Dave says, pull off the purple bit as low as you can where it joins the main stem. Take cuttings off the strong white part.
A lot of variegated plants will throw up a plain green bit. The plain green bit is stronger than the variegated bit and will take over the plant if left.
My white flowered buddleja has always stayed white. Usually I have trouble with the weak variegated leaf ones reverting to green leaves.