Everyone grows the Asian butterfly bushes because of their huge flower panicles, but there are some really cool native buddleias that are mostly overlooked. Below is Buddleia marrubifolia from Presidio, Texas. Native to the Chihuahuan Desert, mature plants can reach 6′ tall x 6′ wide. The hairy white foliage serves as a nice foil for the odd, small orange, sattelite-looking flowers that adorn the plant starting in late summer. We last offered this in 2000 to raucous sales–just kidding about the raucous sales. Nurserymen disdainingly refer to these as BIO plants….botanical interest only. Hardiness Zone 7b-10b.
Definitely not BIO as far as I’m concerned. I live in El Paso, in the Chihuahuan Desert, and planted one of these beauties last fall in my pollinator bed.. It started blooming in early April and hasn’t quit, even blooming through the spell of intense heat this summer. Am thinking of purchasing a few more. BTW, it’s called a wooly butterfly bush or Chihuahuan butterfly bush here.
After many unsuccessful attempts at growing B. davidai cultivars, thanks to PDN I have a robust Orange Scepter growing well in my Zone 10 Gulf coast garden. Thank you for experimenting and testing other possibilities.
Marvelous!