Buddleia Question

[mwieder]

I bought two buddleia this year, an "Ellen's Blue" and a "Pink Delight." The "Pink Delight" has grown quite tall with 5 or 6 giant plumes of flowers (each 12"-18") The "Ellen's Blue" has produced dozens of flowering plumes (each about 6") but the plant is only about half the height of the "Pink Delight." I planted them nest to eahc other and it looks a little strange. The Ellen's Blue was a more mature plant when I bought it. Can planting depth explain this behavior? Is it the way the "Ellen's Blue" was pruned? How can I encourage the Ellen's Blue to grow taller? thanks.

[Marley1372]

ellens blue is supposed to be a more compact plant, maturing at 4-5 feet in height. Pink delight is much larger, at 6-10 feet. Though plants rarley read thier own tags, you definitley should before buying them so that you know what to expect.

Toad

[mwieder]

Wow - how insiteful! However, both plants tags said 4-6' and online websites confirm that (some say Ellen's Blue is 4-5 feet and Pink delight is 4-6). I didn't see anywhere saying Pink Delight is 6-10 and the tag certainly didn't...

[paghat]

The averages Toad stated are correct. Catalogs tend to describe average mature size, not maximum size; for trees tags often state the ten-year height, which befuddles beginners who thought their fir tree was going to stop growing at ten feet cuz the tag said so.

Buddlea davidii 'Pink Delight' easily exceeds ten feet, & can get quite a lot bigger than that if not hard pruned. Ellen's Blue grows more slowly, more compactly; it is is hybridized with the smaller Buddleia fallowiana & will get substantial with time but nowhere near as big as Pink Delight.

Catalogs tend to underestimate the size even of the semi-dwarfs because vendors know fewer would be sold to gardeners with small yards if they fully realized how big most of these butterfly bushes can get.

-paghat the ratgirl

[Ben]

Tags?Tags?Tags?

[Cheryl Isaak]

You've all ready gotten some good advice, but I'll add my two cents anyway. First year performance is rarely a good yard stick for next year's show. You may also be seeing the results of plants from different wholesalers.

Good luck, next year will be totally different!

Cheryl