Written by: host
7/3/2009 8:39 PM

I saw this plant today when I was visiting Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. It is a Buddleja (Buddleia) Paniculata, a Butterfly Bush. Obviously, butterflys love it. This one was flittering from flower to flower when I first discovered the plant and 45 minutes later when I was ready to leave the park, this guy was still flittering from flower to flower. The flowers may be tiny but, do-they-smell! The perfume is hard to describe, but here goes -- sweet, spicy and citrusy. A totally delicious scent! I felt like I was transforming in to a bee or butterfly, I found it difficult to draw myself away from the plant and kept sniffing the flowers!

I do not know why, but this plant is difficult to find online. Apparently someone was able to find it and donated two of them to the Mounts.

This plant will grow in light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires good drainage and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. This Buddleja will grow in partial shade, but prefers full sun. It is drought tolerant once established and will grow fairly tall. This one was over 6 feet tall and about 3 feet wide.

Copyright ©2009 Paul J. Erdek, FloridaGardener.com

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