Regardless of spelling, it’s clear the genus is a nod to Reverend Adam Buddle (1660-1715), an English botanist. The specific epithet is a nod to Pere David (1826-1900), a French naturalist. Note: If by chance you enjoy these kinds of worm-hole ramblings about botanical history, one of our main research sources is the Biodiversity Heritage Library which has an insane amount of rare and historical texts searchable on all kinds of biology topics. Now, let’s talk about how this plant causes confusion when it comes to its hardiness. Some of you may have had trouble getting Butterfly-Bush to survive the winter. And, many of you likely won’t plant them, or won’t offer a warranty, for that reason. Buddleia is actually incredibly hardy and a nearly indestructible plant. The downfall that most face in Ohio are heavy, wet clays. The plant prefers the gravelly side of a mountain or the crack of a sidewalk compared to wet, heavy soils. Many die in winter from rotting in the root system or suffocation in the roots. Planted in full sun in well drained soils, these plants will survive any winter thrown at them. In the worst of winters they’ll die back, perhaps to the crown, but will jump back up in the spring. Typically we prefer to prune ours to about 12 inches or so in the fall to early spring, while thinning the branching a bit. These plants are rather deer-resistant and can handle some occasional continued on page 26 munching without a negative impact.
Northeast ohio’s Most CoMplete seed house For over 80 Years
quality lawn seed mixes turf/ornamental fertilizers erosion control products forage/wildlife seed mixes hydroseeding products custom seed mixes wildflower seed mixes
Member of the Ohio Landscape Association for over 25 years. Members of the GCSSA, Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, and ONLA
OLIGER SEED COMPANY
89 Hanna Parkway, Akron, OH 44319 Phone: 330-724-1266 • Fax: 330-724-4810
VISIT WWW.OLIGERSEED.COM The Growing Concern | March 2020 | 25
